Avatar: Legend of Naruto
by PrincessT123
Summary: Earth:the loyal. Water:the loving. Fire:the passionate. Air:the trustworthy. Metal:the clever. The new Avatar, a teenage boy with a sexy mane, is now put to the test when the man in the purple robe begins to raise the dead. But for what reason? Naruto is going to find out, with the help of his new friends, which includes a shy bluenette. Can Naruto find love and save the world? R
1. A Rude Awakening

Avatar: Legend of Naruto

Book One~ Water

Chapter One~ A Rude Awakening

**A/N: **Is everyone pumped for this? Haha I hope you guys are, because I am. I hope all of you have been watching Avatar: Legend of Korra, too. So please comment, I want this story to be really popular and I want you all to love it! Enjoy, as always :D

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. I do not own Avatar, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko do. _

Long ago, a battle was fought between the Avatar, Aang, and a mysterious man whom no one knew. He came from the Land of Poison, an island thriving with foliage and, most importantly, poisonous reptiles. But before we go into that battle we should probably discuss the changes Aang had made to the four nations in his ruling era.

After defeating Fire Lord Ozai, he and Katara wed and had many, many children, restoring the Air Kingdom. Then, when all was settled and at peace, he and the new fire lord, Zuko, decided to unite all four nations into one, called The United Bending Nations. And that's where the mysterious man in purple stepped in.

He came in on a giant snake with an odd, purple rope tied around his waist and long, black hair. His eyes were snakelike, rimmed in purple liner and his tongue and teeth resembled that of a serpent. He came with a wicked smile and bearing disturbing, unbelievable news. There was a man, he claimed, that knew how to create new elements, ones that were not of this world.

The people did not believe him until he demonstrated his words. He lifted a finger, and out of nowhere particles began to form on his fingertip. The specks of dust grew in size until a giant sphere of sand floated between Aang and the man. And then he sent it hurling and the Air Kingdom's grounds shook.

Battle started between the man and Aang, but in the end, the faithful Avatar was defeated. Katara and some of the most important benders in the entire world were taken captive and brought to the Land of Poison where they were kept as slaves, and then killed.

With the leaders of The United Bending Nations gone and dead, the people's hearts were filled with distrust and resentment. The United Bending Nations was no more, and the nations began warring again. Fire Nation proved weak without their leader, Zuko, as well as Air Kingdom, Water Tribe, and Earth Kingdom. It was a draw and the nations returned back to normal, but each despising the other.

And so now we are enemies of each other; water despises fire, fire despises earth, earth despises air, and so on. Without an avatar, the world will surely collapse. Speaking of which, where is our avatar? Oh, there he is, in his apartment in Earth Kingdom. But what is he doing there…?

…

"A hah," Naruto shouts as he sets down one of his planted flowers. "So that's why you aren't growing. You didn't have enough sunlight," he leans down with puckered lips and begins to speak in a baby voice. "My poor wittle fwower. You were so cold, weren't you?" A knock on the door alerts the blond, and he hurries to open it.

"Must be my ramen," he says as he opens it wide. There stands a teenage girl, about his age, with soft, indigo hair and milky eyes. Naruto furrows his brows, frowning. "Hey, you aren't Iruka. Are you new here?" he eyes the package in her hands. "Is that my special ramen?"

"Yes," she says with a timid smile. "Imported straight from Water Tribe,"

"Water Tribe?" Naruto reiterates. "But I order mine from Air Kingdom…"

The girl frowns, and before Naruto can comprehend what's happening, she's in his apartment, straddling him on the ground. "Hey," Naruto shouts. "Get off of me,"

"Make me," she retorts while pulling tighter on his arms. Naruto grunts and rolls over, the bluenette now beneath him. Her cheeks are rosy red, a significant contrast from her porcelain skin.

"Who are you?" he questions.

"My name is Hinata Hyuga, of Water Tribe," she says. "And you are Naruto Uzumaki,"

Said boy narrows his eyes at her. "What do you want with me?"

"Could you release me?"

"No,"

"Fine," she lets out a breath. "I'm here with news from Hiashi, the Hokage of the Water Tribe,"

"Yeah? What does that have to do with me?" Naruto asks.

"It's a long story but a few years ago, Water Tribe and Air Kingdom formed a secret alliance. The Hokage of Air Kingdom, Tsunade, says that the next avatar ran away." Naruto swallows the lump in his throat. "Naruto, you're the next avatar and you know it, don't you?"

Naruto releases the girl and takes a seat, cross legged beside her. "Maybe I am," he mumbles.

"Why'd you run away? Tsunade says you were thrilled about becoming avatar. She even mentioned how you wanted to be the Hokage of Air Kingdom when you were little." Naruto sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"This is a long story, too." He turns to her and their eyes lock. "When I was told I was mean to be the next avatar, I was really excited. But then…then they told me some disturbing news,"

"What?"

"They told me that in order to become avatar, I would have to train under the monks because it was tradition in Air Kingdom,"

"And…?" Hinata prompts, confusion clouding in her eyes.

"They said…they said I'd have to become a monk too! Do you know what that would mean?" Naruto shouts as he grabs a hold of the girl's hands. She jerks back, eyes wide. "It means I'd have to shave my head! Look at this sexy mane," he releases one of her hands to run his hand through his bush of disheveled hair. "I couldn't lose that!"

Hinata stares at him, dumbfounded.

"You don't want to be the avatar because you don't want to shave your head?" she asks. Naruto nods his head. "Then come back to Water Tribe with me. We can take a ride to Air Kingdom after I report to my father and then we'll talk it over with Tsunade. What do you say?"

Naruto averts his gaze, a small frown adorning his face.

"Naruto," Hinata says softly. "Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be here, in Earth Kingdom? Earth benders hate air benders. You could be killed if they knew."

"Yeah, I know," Naruto says. "That's why I haven't practiced air bending in forever, since I was little. I've been working on earth bending instead." Hinata raises her eyebrows, impressed.

"Wow," she says. "So that's one element you don't have to learn."

"Yup." he grins, a charming, toothy smile that makes the girl's heart stutter.

"So we'd better head off," Hinata says while rising to her feet. She heads for the door, glancing over her shoulder at the blond behind her. "Go pack whatever you want to bring. You won't be coming back."

"My plants!" Naruto whines.

Hinata rolls her eyes and opens the door wide, ready to step out when a man stumbles to the ground, his head resting on the girl's feet. Hinata looks down at him in shock, Naruto mimicking her expression. "You," he says, trembling with hatred. "You are not an earth bender!"

Hinata's eyes widen and she turns to Naruto, motioning for him to speed it along. Then she turns back to the man and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. "Listen, please don't-"

But the man won't have any of it. He knocks the top of his head into her jaw, causing her to stumble back and fall onto her rear. The man scrambles to his feet and dashes down the sidewalk, hollering for the police. "Um, Naruto," Hinata says worriedly. "Hurry up in there. We've got trouble."

Naruto steps out of his room with a leather bag strung over his shoulder. "Ready," he says. They run out of the door, not bothering to shut it behind them, and make their way towards the gates of Earth Kingdom.

"Shut the gates!" an officer shouts.

The gates begin to close right as Naruto and Hinata are nearing them. "We won't make it!" Naruto yells.

"Don't worry," Hinata shouts. "I've got a plan."

The gates close and the old man behind the two teens smirks. "I've got you now, twerps," he says. "Officers, arrest these two non-earth benders."

The officer appears before them, his hands outstretched and ready to cuff them. "Now would be a good time for that plan to happen," Naruto says through gritted teeth.

"Any second now," Hinata whispers. After a moment of silence, a shadow appears over head. Everyone glances up, and at that moment Hinata takes Naruto's hand and sprints towards the gates. "Naruto, bend us a ramp." Hinata instructs. He does as Hinata says; the rock beneath them rises as they sprint. Finally, they reach the top of the gates.

"What do we do?" he asks. "We can't jump it."

Hinata lets out a whistle and suddenly, a dragon swoops down before them. Hinata jumps on, Naruto following suit, and they speed out of sight. Hinata turns around, watching as the man and the entire kingdom gather around to watch. When she turns back, she finds Naruto trembling, his eyes shut.

"Oh, come on," she says. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights. You're an air bender!"

"I'm not afraid of heights," he says, a bit shakily. "I'm afraid of anything with sharp teeth and scales."

"Don't be afraid of Momoiro," someone says with a laugh. Naruto whips his head around, his eyes fluttering open in surprise.

"That's Sakura," Hinata says. "She's a friend of mine from Fire Nation,"

"Fire nation?" Naruto repeats. "But I thought Water Tribe and Air Kingdom were the only two nations with alliances…"

"Oh, they are," Sakura says. "But Hinata and I go way back. Her father saved me once from an Earth bender. We became quick friends, but kept it a secret."

"Yeah. My father saved her because she was a child, but frowned upon her, still. We became close friends and kept it secret from everyone. We even train together sometimes." Hinata chimes in.

"But it's hard to do because sometimes it sounds a bit suspicious," Sakura adds. "Oh, and hi."

"Hi," Naruto says slowly, still dazed with the new information. "So are you going to drop us off in Water Tribe or…"

"She'll drop us off at our meeting place," Hinata answers. "It's in between our two nations. We'll have to walk the rest of the way, though."

"Hey, Hinata, do you have a special animal you ride?" Naruto asks.

"Nah," she says. "That's ancient stuff. Sakura only has a pet dragon because her father is Hokage of Fire Nation and she's a rich little brat." Hinata grins, to which Sakura sticks out her tongue.

"Yeah, well your father is Hokage of Water Tribe, so what does that make you, oh righteous one?"

"Um, righteous?" Hinata says with a laugh.

Suddenly Momoiro swoops down towards the water and lands on a large glacier. "Here we are," Sakura says. "It was nice to meet you, Naruto. Good luck."

"You too," the blond says as he follows Hinata onto the glacier. They wave goodbye and then Sakura and Momoiro are gone, just a spec in the sky.

"Let's go," Hinata says.

"Where? We're surrounded by water."

"I water bend, duh." Hinata says with a smile. And then she motions for Naruto to step onto the water with her.

"Hinata, no one can walk on water," Naruto says nervously as he eyes the great blue beneath him.

"Oh hush," she says. "Just trust me." And then she begins to bend the water so that it's a wave, and she drags Naruto onto it with her. She paddles with her arms, except they never touch the water, just move in a paddling motion. They speed past many glaciers and polar bears and penguins until finally, they reach a city made of ice.

"Wow," Naruto breaths. "It's so pretty."

"Thanks," Hinata says with a smile.

They step onto the snow-peppered ground and begin their trek towards the Hokage's tower. When they reach the building, Naruto stops. "Hinata, I don't know what to do," he says. "Will they hate me?"

"What?" she laughs. "Of course not. Don't be too hard on yourself. You only wanted to protect your…" she mimics Naruto raking a hand through his hair. "Sexy mane…"

Naruto's cheeks turn a deep crimson at the sight of the bluenette before him raking a hand through her silky curtain of hair. "Right," Naruto says with an awkward chuckle. "Let's go."

When they reach the door, Hinata knocks and then enters. "Hello father," she says while taking a seat on the ground and bowing. Naruto steps in, takes a good look at the girl on the floor, and does the same. "I've brought you back the avatar," she says while sitting up to face him.

"Wonderful," Hiashi says with a smile. "Naruto Uzumaki, I am Hiashi Hyuga of Water Tribe. It's so nice to meet you."

"You too, sir," Naruto says as he shakes the man's hand.

"So tell me," Hiashi says while taking his seat. "Where have you been for the last fifteen years? How old are you now? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Eighteen, sir," Naruto answers. "And I've been in Earth Kingdom." He steals a quick glance towards Hinata.

"Oh, marvelous," Hiashi exclaims. "My daughter is eighteen, as well."

"Father," Hinata groans.

"Silence," Hiashi says. "Now dear boy, I have a question. Do you want to take on the responsibility of avatar?"

"Yes sir," Naruto says as he clears his throat.

"And how many elements can you bend?" Hiashi inquires.

"I can bend earth and a bit of air." Naruto says as he scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.

"A bit of air?" Hiashi reiterates. "It seems you have a lot of work to do,"

"Father," Hinata cuts in. "You said you had a mission for me?"

"Oh, yes," Hiashi says while turning his attention to his daughter. "Hinata knows water bending, so she can teach you, Naruto."

"Oh yeah," Naruto says, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That would be awesome."

"And then you'll need to find a fire bending teacher." Hiashi mumbles. "That should be a bit hard, though…"

"I already-" Naruto begins to speak but Hinata kicks him in the leg. He lets out a curse as he bends down to hold his foot, fire in his eyes. Hinata shrugs and clears her throat.

"I will take on the task," she says. "When do we start?"

"Now," Hiashi says while standing. "Go to Air Kingdom and speak with Tsunade. I want you, Hinata, to be Naruto's personal water bending trainer. Am I clear?"

"Yes father," Hinata says with a bow.

"Thank you, Naruto," Hiashi says. "It was an honor." He bows his head to the blond.

"Oh, uh…" Naruto's eyes dart around the room, as if the bookshelves would have an answer of what to do. Finally, he bows back and then he and Hinata are dismissed.

…

Somewhere in Water Tribe, a teenage girl sits in a wintry forest with two rice balls resting in her lap. She sighs, her breath a frosty mist. "Where is he?" she murmurs as she glances down at the tauntingly delicious food. She sighs and lets down her wavy russet locks.

"Tenten?" someone calls.

"Neji," the girl says while jumping to her feet. "There you are! I was worried you wouldn't come back."

"Why wouldn't I come back?" he says with a chuckle. "Now come on. Let's eat."

He takes a seat beside Tenten and they begin to eat their lunch. "Where were you?" Tenten asks.

"Just using the bathroom," Neji answers. "You don't have to worry."

"Thanks for making me this lunch," Tenten says quietly. "It was sweet."

"You don't need to thank me. You're skinny as a stick. You need some food." He says with a light, airy laugh. When she doesn't respond, or laugh along with him, he frowns and sets down his rice ball. "Tenten, where do you live?" he asks.

"I…live in the mountains," she says.

"In a cabin?" Neji asks.

"Yeah," she says slowly, and then shoves the rest of her rice ball into her mouth.

"Tenten," Neji sighs.

"Don't you think it's weird," Tenten interrupts, her mouth still full. Neji lets out a short breath through his nose. "…That the two of us are water benders but practice something totally different."

"Yeah," Neji says. "I suppose."

"I mean, I thought only the avatar could master more than one element. But I guess I was wrong," she continues.

"Let's get back to training," Neji suggests.

"Alright,"

…

"Are you packed yet?" Naruto asks impatiently as he leans against Hinata's bedroom door. She opens it, her lips twisted to the side.

"Picky, picky," she says, and brushes past him.

"So how do we get to Air Kingdom?" Naruto asks. "We aren't going to ride on your water wave are we?"

"No silly," Hinata says with a chuckle. "My water can't reach all the way to the sky. My father has arranged a ride for us."

"Which is…?"

Hinata stops, a grin on her face. "Naruto, meet Shiro. He's an Arctic Tern."

Naruto gazes upon the large, white bird before him. "Is he…yours?" Naruto asks.

"No, he's my father's. I, unlike Sakura, didn't demand a pet." Hinata says. "Come on. Let's go," The two climb onto the bird and settle in for the ride. "Oh, and hold on really tight. Shiro loves twisty routes."

Naruto swallows and grips a bunch of feathers in his fists. And then they're off to Air Kingdom.

…

"Sakura," Hiroshi, the Hokage of Fire Nation, calls. Said girl enters his office timidly, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Yes, father?"

"I've seemed to have lost some very important scrolls. Would you mind helping me find them?"

"Of course not, father," Sakura says, and makes her way towards his bookshelves.

"Oh no, they aren't there. I've already checked." He says.

"Father, what do these scrolls look like?"

"They're red with the words _blood bending _on them." Sakura's eyes widen. "I know, I know. That's why this is so important. If it turns out someone stole them then…we may have a problem on our hands."

"I'll search quickly," Sakura says, and hurries out.

_Blood bending? But that's illegal! They should have burned those scrolls long ago. If they got into the wrong hands…_

Sakura stops suddenly when she spies a boy her age sitting cross legged against the wall. She recognized him as Shikamaru, the superintendant of the Hokage. In his hands was a red scroll. Her eyes widen, her breath catching in her throat.

_Shikamaru…! But why? He's so nice and smart… Why would he…? _

The boy glances up, sensing someone's eyes on him, and freezes. Sakura takes a step closer, her tongue flicking over her lips. "Shikamaru," she says. "What are you reading?"

"A scroll," he answers while rising to his feet. "Your father asked me to take care of some of the old scrolls and throw them out," he shrugs. "I guess I just got a bit curious."

Sakura narrows her gaze, not believing a word of it. "Shikamaru," she says. "Give me the scroll."

He lets out a breath. "So troublesome," he mutters. "I guess this'll be how it is."

Sakura moves to grab the scroll when Shikamaru suddenly lifts his hands, his fingers bending at odd angles. Sakura freezes, a scream ripping through her throat. The door to the Hokage's office swings open and Hiroshi steps out, eyes wide. "Shikamaru," he shouts. "You were the one…?"

Shikamaru drops Sakura to the floor, tucks the scroll in his pocket, and makes a mad dash for the window. "Wait," Hiroshi calls, stopping to kneel beside his daughter. "Guards," he shouts. "Guards!"

…

Ino Yamanaka stood at a counter, her chin resting in her hands. "I'm so bored," she whines. "No one ever wants to buy flowers. No wonder we're so poor."

Suddenly, the sound of feet crunching in the graveled roads and shouts alert the blond at the counter. She lifts her chin, sighing. "Must be Sasuke again. When will he learn to just leave Fire Nation? It would save us all a lot of trouble."

The doors to the shop swing open abruptly, startling Ino. "What the…? Shikamaru?" she says, stunned.

"Ino," he says, breathless. "They're after me. I have to flee Fire Nation."

"Why?" she inquires while gripping his arms. Her eyes search his for an answer, but to no avail. He glances over his shoulder briefly, and then turns back to her.

"Look, just tell Sasuke to meet me in Water Tribe, okay? I'm going to visit a friend of mine and stay there. Just please, tell Sasuke." Then he bends down and plants a kiss on her lips. "Goodbye," he says, and then he's gone.

The doors to the shop swing open again and a crowd of men appear. "Where is he? Where's that boyfriend of yours?" one man hollers.

"Shikamaru?" she asks innocently. "What has he done?"

The men mutter to themselves, and then rush out of the door. Ino lets out a shaky breath. "I need to talk to Sakura." She says worriedly before heading out the door.

…

The sky was a blanket of dark lace, twinkling stars thrown into the gaps. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the same could be said for the moon. "Hinata," Naruto said, his teeth chattering. "It's really cold up here."

"Don't worry," Hinata assures. "Once we get closer to Air Kingdom it'll be nice and warm." She smiles, to which Naruto returns. "Now get some sleep."

"Okay," Naruto says, and rests his head onto the feathery bird's back. After a second, he feels something tighten around his body. "What the…? Hinata, what the hell!" he shouts as Hinata straps him to the bird using a rope.

"I told you already, Shiro likes to take twisty routes. You wouldn't want to fall off as he does a loopty loop, would you?" she asks with a grin.

"Um…"

She straps herself in beside him and the closes her eyes. "Goodnight, Naruto," she whispers.

He watches, even with barely any light in the sky, as her eyelashes frame her skin and her hair whips around her rosy cheeks in the wind. A smile graces his lips, and he settles back down. "Goodnight,"

**A/N: **Yup, that was a bit weak… I'm so sorry! I'll make the next chapter better, though! It's only because I needed to introduce some of the main characters, so I was bouncing back and forth and back and forth. Yup, well, sorry about that -_- comment, please!


	2. Air Kingdom, Here We Are!

Book One~Water

Chapter Two~ Air Kingdom, Here We Are!

**A/N: **Hi guys :) So I may not have gotten many reviews on this, but a bunch of people subscribed, so I'm not going to lose hope! I hope this chapter will be better than the last, though. It's hard to remake something that was already so good, you know? Oh well… Haha, let's begin!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

A dark blanket hung in the sky, little jewels twinkling beyond the full moon. A blond haired girl slunk into the darkness of an abandoned alley clad in black tights and a navy blue blazer. Her hair was pulled into a bun on the top of her head and she was carrying a sling bag over her shoulder. A sudden movement from the back of the alley made her halt, her breath ceasing in its journey up her throat.

Footsteps thunder through the quiet of the night, and the young woman takes cover behind a dumpster, crouching on the balls of her feet. "Who is it?" a man asks threateningly. "Judging by your light footsteps, I'd say it you're Ino Yamanaka of Yamanaka Flowers, or am I wrong?"

Ino lets out a dead breath and rises in defeat. Her frown deepens when the man before her shines a light in her face. "So I was correct, after all." He says while cracking an arrogant grin. "What do you need with me?"

"You've heard, haven't you, Sasuke?" Ino inquires. "About Shikamaru's escape."

Sasuke's face hardens and he leans himself against the alley wall, crossing his legs at his ankles. "What's it to you? Do you have a message for me?"

"Yeah," Ino says. "He wants you to meet him in water Tribe. He says he has a friend there that can help him."

"And if he has a friend there then why does he need me?"

"I don't know. All I know if he's in trouble. Now tell me," she leans closer and presses a palm against his chest. "What do you know about this?"

Sasuke's grin returns. "So you want some info, huh? I think it'll cost you, though." He rubs his fingers together.

"I'm not paying you," Ino spits. "I'm poor enough."

"Poor? You have a family, a house, and a job. I live on the streets. Don't talk to me about poor, you ungrateful slut." Sasuke retorts bitterly.

"I'm no slut, and it's your own fault you're on the streets. You used to be rich, might I remind you?"

"Yeah, and thanks to some bastard with a white lie piggy backed onto him, I'm on the run, so if anyone needs money, it's me. Unless you want to work out a deal."

"What kind of a deal?" she says, eyes narrowing.

"Like…" he pries her hand off of his chest and smiles sweetly. "Like giving me a bit to eat?"

"Deal," Ino says. "Now spill."

"All I know is that he stole some secret document, one that was illegal. It was supposed to be burned, and now that he's got it, no one's safe." He shrugs. "So what's on the menu?"

"What document?" Ino inquires, brows furrowing. "What documents are illegal?"

"I don't know. I told you everything I knew so give me my meal."

"I will," Ino snaps. "But remember, you still have to meet him in Water Tribe."

Sasuke snorts. "I'm not going to Water Tribe. I'll be killed."

"But he asked you to. You guys are friends."

"If he was my friend, he would have let me stay with him instead of leaving me on the streets." Sasuke says with a glare.

"You know he couldn't," Ino hisses. "It's against the law to take you in. And I could get arrested for feeding you, or talking to you!" she lets out a breath. "Please, Sasuke, just do as he asks. Maybe he's found somewhere for you to live. Maybe that's why he wants you to come."

"I doubt it," Sasuke says. "He probably needs help with the law. I am an expert at running from the coppers, you know."

"I get that. But please do this. Not for him, but for me."

"For you?" Sasuke says, his eyebrow arched. "You don't even like me."

"But… I need a ride to water Tribe and you're the only one I can hitch." She reaches for her sling bag and lifts it to Sasuke's eyelevel.

"Wait, you mean you're coming with me?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.

"So that's a yes!"

"NO!" Sasuke shouts. The two are quiet for a moment; a dog barks. "Look, I'm going nowhere, and the same goes for you. You can't leave; someone will search for you. And if they find you with Shikamaru and me then we'll all be screwed."

"I think there's more to this," Ino insists. "I'm not coming back."

"More to what?" Sasuke demands exasperatedly. "And like hell are you running away from home-"

"There's more to his running away. I don't think…I don't think he's coming home." Ino's eyes fall to the ground and the night is quiet again.

"Look, Ino-"

"I can't live without him," she says in a shaky voice. "So please…please just take me there."

Sasuke studies her for a moment; her broken face, glassy eyes, and quivering lips. And then he breaks.

"Okay," he says. "We leave tomorrow morning, bright and early."

Ino's lips curve into a smile.

"I won't let you down."

…

Naruto shifts in his spot as a warm breeze kisses his cheeks. His eyes flutter open at the contact and a smile reaches its way onto his lips. "Man," he whispers. "I haven't smelled anything this good since I was a child." And then he takes another whiff and sighs.

"That's probably because this is the same scent you smelled as a child." Hinata says from beside him. The boy jumps, startled by her presence.

"Oh, Hinata, you're awake," he says with a chuckle.

"Yup," she smiles softly. "And guess what. We're here."

Naruto's eyes roam the area surrounding them, and his jaw begins to drop, slowly and steadily. Shiro is still soaring high in the sky, but just below Air Kingdom. Clouds dance slowly and gently in the warm wind, sometimes patting Naruto in the face and then dissipating. The sky is the purest shade of blue and the air smells of grass, wind, and sunshine.

"I can't believe it… I'm really here. I'm home." Naruto says in awe.

"Is it just how you remember it?" Hinata inquires.

"Yeah," and then Shiro lands on the edge of Air Kingdom and Naruto's face falls. "Nope."

Hinata laughs, a sound of peals of bells, and shakes her head. "Make up your mind."

"Well, it smells how I remember it to smell, but everything has changed…" Naruto explains.

"Like what?"

"Like…Well, that school was never there." Naruto says while pointing to a tall, stone building.

"Yes it was," Hinata says. "It's in all of the history books. Didn't you go to school?"

"I lived with the monks. They were my teachers." Naruto's eyes fall to his knees. "Oh hey, Hinata," Naruto says. "Can you untie me?"

The bluenette crawls towards the blond and begins to untie the ropes binding him to Shiro. "There," she says. "Now, should we go see Tsunade-sama now?"

"Yeah," he says with a sigh. "If we have to."

"We do," Hinata says with a giggle.

And then the two climb off of the bird and take off into the village.

…

"Well that building was never there."

"Library, built 500 years ago."

"That's new!"

"Bag of Wind toy store, founded 700 years ago and distributed all over Air Kingdom."

"A-hah," Naruto shouts. "Ichiraku Ramen, the only ramen shop in all of the land." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Did you know they don't have ramen in Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, or Water Tribe? What losers."

"Actually," Hinata says while peering into the shop. "We've began to sell instant ramen in Water Kingdom after father came here on a business trip. We still don't have ramen shops, though." She sniffs the air and lets out a moan. 'That smells so good."

"I know," Naruto says with a grin. "It's the best food in the world. You wanna sit for a while and have breakfast?"

"No," Hinata shakes her head with a sympathetic smile. "I'd love to but we need to report to the Hokage right away. This may take all morning, to speak with her. Plus you two need to catch up."

"Please," Naruto rolls his eyes. "Catch up? The only thing we'll be doing is fighting."

"Maybe after our meeting…" Hinata mumbles to herself.

"Fine," Naruto sighs in defeat. "Let's go get this over with."

…

When the two reach the Hokage's Tower, Naruto pauses to take a breath and collect his thoughts. "What should I say?" he asks.

"How about: sorry I ran away?" Hinata says.

"Yeah, smart ass, why don't you talk to her instead." Hinata raises her eyebrows at the boy, a frown replacing her earlier smirk. "Sorry," Naruto rubs the back of his neck. "I'm just nervous."

"Don't be," Hinata says while resting her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Just apologize, talk it up, and remember to compliment her a bunch. I hear she's old, so you should probably say something about how beautiful and young she looks."

"Right," Naruto says with a shudder. "Compliment her."

And then Hinata raps her knuckles against the door softly. The door creaks open and the two exchange worried looks. "Hello?" Hinata says while peering into the room. "Miss. Tsunade-sama? It's Hinata Hyuga, of Water Tribe and I have Naruto Uzu-"

Just then, the door swings wide open and a woman with blond hair and brown eyes appears. She snatches Naruto by the collar in a lightning fast motion and then hauls him into the room. Hinata stands there in awe, her eyes widening in horror as the woman throws the boy down on her desk and begins to throttle him.

"No!" Hinata shouts while dashing to Naruto's side. "Stop hurting him! Stop it!"

Tsunade releases Naruto's neck, whacks him on the head one last time, and retires to her chair with a huff. Hinata grabs Naruto's hand and helps him to sit up, placing her other hand on his back. The boy clutches his head, tears in the corners of his eyes. "What the hell, Tsunade!"

Hinata swallows nervously at their behavior and helps Naruto to stand up. "Naruto," Tsunade says with narrowed eyes. "I was wondering when you'd show your face here again."

"I thought you wanted me back!" Naruto shouted.

"I did."

"So you could kill me?"

Tsunade laughs, a belly aching laugh, and then clears her throat. "No, silly," she says as her eyes grow softer. "I missed you. And I had news for the new avatar."

"Then why did you try to kill me?" Naruto shouts.

"Because you're a moron!" she shouts back.

"I'm the moron? I'll tell you who's the moron. I've got-"

"Tsunade-sama," Hinata says with a bow, cutting Naruto off. "Might I say you are looking very nice today?"

"Well thank you," Tsunade says with a grin. And then to Naruto, "She's a keeper."

The two blush, giving Tsunade another good laugh.

"Man, Tsunade," Naruto says, "You haven't changed at all, except for your chest. I mean, look at those things-"

"Naruto!" the two girls scream. Hinata, surprisingly, is the one to bonk him on the head this time.

"Ow," Naruto whines. "It was a compliment!"

"Don't compliment me on my boobs!" Tsunade scolds. "You've got a girlfriend right there. Don't you know that's rude?"

"We're not dating!" the two shout simultaneously.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow.

"Anyways… Naruto, there's been some trouble going on."

"What kind of trouble?" he asks while taking a seat across from Tsunade. Hinata follows suit.

"There's a man. He's been doing something both miraculous and terrifying. He's been raising the dead."

"What?"

"It's true. Not only has he been raising the dead, though, but he's also been taking away people's bending abilities."

Naruto and Hinata's eyes widen.

"You're the avatar, Naruto. You've been gone too long and it's time to step up to the plate. It's your responsibility to save the world from whatever this man is doing. And whatever he's doing, it's big." Her gaze narrows. "You need to stop him, Naruto."

"Yeah, you can count on me!" Naruto shouts. "But I still need to master all four elements."

"All five," Tsunade corrects. "Plus there are some new bending techniques we've made and perfected in the last few years. You'll need to learn those too."

"Five?" Hinata reiterates.

"Yes. Earth, fire, water, air, and metal."

"Metal?" Hinata and Naruto say simultaneously.

"Yes. Long ago, back when Avatar Aang was ruling, one of his counsel members created a new bending technique known as metal bending. And although this woman, Toph, was of Earth Kingdom, only Fire Nation has the scroll to learning metal bending."

"Wow," Hinata breathes.

"But why?" Naruto asks. "Why Fire Nation?"

"Because they've stolen scrolls from all over the world. Some very important scrolls that are even illegal are in their possession. So no one can metal bend but those of Fire Nation."

"That's so unfair." Naruto says with a pout.

"So Hinata," Tsunade says. "Your father says you are Naruto's water bending master."

"That's correct." Hinata answers.

"Well, I'd like you to not only be his water bending master, but also his traveling companion." Tsunade says. "With his rambunctious attitude, he'll never survive alone. I'd like you to travel with him as he masters the elements and keep him in check."

"Yes, ma'am," Hinata says with a small smile. "I'd be happy to."

"So what's our first mission?" Naruto asks.

"Well, first you'll learn water bending with Hinata. You can either stay here or travel back to water Tribe." She smiles. "Though I'd rather you stay here."

"I think it would be best to stay here, Naruto." Hinata says. "You still need to brush up on your air bending skills."

"Right," Naruto says.

"So, which elements have you mastered already?" Tsunade inquires.

"Well, Earth and…Air…"

Tsunade and Hinata sweat drop.

"Alright, you'll stay here for a month and master both air and water. Then you and Hinata will travel to Fire Nation to master metal and fire. And once you've finished that, you'll start on the mission at hand."

"Okey dokey," Naruto says with a grin. "I guess we'll be gone then."

"Naruto," Tsunade says. "You two will be staying in your old room at the monks' temple."

"Uh, right."

"Safe sleeping."

…

"Hya!" Tenten shouts as she opens her palm and lets out a gust of air. Neji jumps into the air and lifts his hands, causing the earth under Tenten's feet to tremble, and then cave in. Tenten lets out a screech before creating a disk of air beneath her rear and lifting herself to Neji's level. The boy begins to fall back towards the ground, but then he unfurls his fingers and the snowflakes around them gather together to create a large snowball for him to sit on.

The two float in the air, watching each other intently.

"Woah, am I in the Twilight Zone, or what?" someone says.

Tenten, startled, releases her hold on the air disk and descends toward the ground. Neji acts fast, releasing his bending and landing on the ground in time to catch Tenten in his arms. The two fall to the ground with a thump.

"Thanks, Neji," Tenten says with a soft smile as she looks up into his pained face.

"No problem…" he wheezes.

The brunette rises to her feet and extends a hand to help him up. Then the two turn to the intruder. Neji's eyes widen and his eyebrows raise to his hairline. "Shikamaru?" he says in awe. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," the boy says with the nod of his head. "I'm just here on a little business trip. Neji, can I speak with you in private?"

The two walk towards a gathering of wigwams and then Shikamaru's carefree expression changes to one of seriousness. "Neji," he whispers. "I need your help. I'm on the run."

"You're what?" Neji says through gritted teeth. "What did you do?"

"I stole a document." Shikamaru pulls the scroll from his jacket pocket. "But it wasn't on purpose. I was reading it and then someone began chasing me. I couldn't set the scroll down so I ended up taking it with me."

Neji snatches the scroll from Shikamaru's hand and examines it. His eyes widen even further, almost to the point where his veins are sticking out.

"This is an illegal scroll." He hisses.

"You don't think I know that?"

"You could be killed for having this. I could be killed for touching this-seeing this! Do you know what kind of danger you're putting me through at this moment?"

"Neji, no one will find us." Shikamaru assures. "I just need somewhere to stay. I'm going to stay here in water Tribe undercover as a water bender. No one will even know about the scroll."

Neji pinches the bridge of his nose, letting his eyes close.

"Please. I already asked Sasuke to come with me."

"You asked Sasuke to _what_?" Neji says, his eyes opening.

"I told Ino to give Sasuke a message. I want him to come out here with me. He's on the run too, and I'd feel terrible if I left him hanging like that."

"Shikamaru," Neji says while shaking his head. "You've gone off the deep end." He hands the scroll back to Shikamaru and lets out a breath, fog separating the two of them.

"Hey, is everything alright over there?" Tenten calls.

The two glance towards the girl who's drawing in the snow with a stick. She pauses to glance up at them, an eyebrow quirked.

"Everything's fine," Neji assures. "Shikamaru just came for s surprise visit and it looks like he'll be staying with me."

"Oh," Tenten rises to her feet. "Well that's cool. Hi, I'm Tenten." She smiles.

"Hey," he nods his head at her. "So that's a yes?"

"Yeah," Neji sighs again.

"And Sasuke…?"

"I guess I can find a place for you two in the guest houses out back." Neji mutters.

"Thanks, man," Shikamaru says in relief.

"Hey Neji," Tenten calls. The two look her way again, surprised to find someone else standing beside her. "This guy says your uncle wants to see you."

"Okay," Neji says tiredly. "Stay with Tenten." He whispers to Shikamaru. "And don't tell her anything about this. She asks a lot of questions, so be prepared."

"Right,"

Neji takes off with the messenger, leaving Shikamaru and Tenten alone.

"So, what's in your hand?"

_Troublesome woman… _

…

"Uncle, you wanted to see me?" Neji asks as he enters Hiashi's office.

"Yes," Hiashi says with a small smile. "Your cousin, Hinata, has set off on a journey with the avatar."

"The avatar?" Neji repeats in surprise.

"Yes, she is to be his water bending master. I've just received word that she is to stay and travel with him until he's master all five elements and has defeated a formidable opponent."

"And what does this gave to do with me, sir?" Neji inquires.

"I'm worried about her. I don't trust Naruto, even if he is the avatar. He's a bit knuckle headed and clueless. Neji, I want you to travel to Air Kingdom and assist Naruto and Hinata on their mission."

Neji's eyes widen even further.

"It may take months, it may even take a year, so be prepared. You leave tonight. Dismissed."

…

"This is the place?" Ino inquires as she and Sasuke land in a dark, deserted forest.

"Yeah," Sasuke says while hopping off his snake. "This is where Shikamaru was last."

"So where is he?" Ino asks.

"If I knew what, do you think I'd be standing here like an idiot?"

"There's no need to get smart with me."

"I'm not getting smart, you're just annoying!"

"I am not!"

"You're looking for Shikamaru?" someone asks.

The two turn towards the sound of the voice in surprise. Ino cocks her head at the girl, a small smile gracing her lips. "Yes, do you know him?" She asks.

"Yeah, he's in my house. Follow me."

"Her house?" Ino whispers as the two follow the strange girl. Sasuke smirks.

"Hm, sounds interesting."

"Shut up," she snaps while stomping on his foot.

Suddenly, a small igloo appears and the two stop.

"You're homeless?" Sasuke asks.

"Um, yeah," Tenten says. "My name is Tenten, by the way."

"I'm Ino, and this is Sasuke." Ino says.

"Cool," Tenten smiles and opens the door for them. Ino's eyes widen when she sees Shikamaru sitting on a couch made of snow and ice, a blanket wrapped around his shivering form. His nose is red with the cold and his hair is dusted with frost.

"Shikamaru!" Ino exclaims.

The boy opens his eyes at the sound of her voice, and a surprised expression crosses his face. His eyes dart to Sasuke, and then he frowns. Sasuke shrugs. "If you can't beat them, join them."

"What the fuck does that mean!" Shikamaru shouts.

"Guys, please," Tenten says.

"Why would you bring her here? Don't you know I'm in danger? That just puts her in danger!"

"It's not like I could say no. She was crying!" Sasuke shouts.

"Guys-"

"I was not crying," Ino says snottily. "And besides, Shika, aren't you happy to see me?" she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him close.

"I know, I'm happy to see you," Shikamaru says while wrapping his arms around Ino. "But Sasuke's a fucking idiot for bringing you here!"

"The hell? I only came on your request! And besides, she wouldn't take no for a fucking answer! You know she's stubborn!"

"Guys-" Tenten says.

"I don't give a shit! All girls are stubborn!"

"You can't shout in here-"

"Really? I thought they were troublesome!"

"Guys-"

Suddenly, the walls of the igloo begin to shake. Tenten's eyes widen in horror as the walls and roof come crashing down over the four of them. Ino shrieks, burying her head into Shikamaru's chest as Sasuke and Tenten duck for cover.

Ino is still screaming when Neji arrives on the scene, a horror stricken expression on his face.

"Tenten," he shouts while pulling her out of the heap of snow and ice. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Her house collapsed on us!" Ino shouts as Shikamaru pulls the two of them out of the snow.

"Your house?" Neji asks. "You live in…snow?"

Tenten's eyes fall to the heap that was once her house and tears begin to glide down her cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Neji asks while pulling her into his arms. "I knew something was wrong. The way you barely eat and you're always out here." He shakes his head.

Tenten sniffs up her tears and lifts her face to look him in the eye.

"I didn't want you to know because you're rich and I'm poor… You would have looked down on me." Her lip begins to quiver.

Sasuke's face hardens, and he and Shikamaru share an expression.

"No I wouldn't have," Neji assures. Then he turns to the others. "Who are you?"

"Oh, um, I'm Ino." Ino says sheepishly.

"And Sasuke's here too." Shikamaru says with a frown.

"Oh, good," Neji says. "Um, actually…This isn't very good."

"Why? What's going on?" Sasuke asks.

"Hinata is on a mission with the new avatar." Neji explains.

"The new avatar?" Ino, Tenten, and Shikamaru repeat. Sasuke's eyebrows shoot up.

"Yeah, she's his water bending master. And she's also going to be his "travel buddy." But the thing is, Naruto, the avatar, isn't very responsible so Hiashi wants me to travel with them and keep Hinata safe."

"Well that puts a dent in our plan." Shikamaru says.

"So you're leaving?" Tenten inquires. Neji nods. "I'm coming with you." She says.

"What? NO, you can't! It's dangerous and-"

"And it's a chance to learn air bending from a real air bender," Tenten finishes. "Besides, you can't leave me alone like this. Please?" she gives him the puppy dog look.

"We're coming too," Ino says.

"Hey, don't decide things on your own like that." Shikamaru says.

"What? We can all travel together. This way the cops won't ever find you because if you're in one place, you're bound to be caught. But traveling will keep you safe. And also, where are we going to stay if Neji won't be here?"

Silence.

"Neji?" Shikamaru asks.

The boy sighs.

"Fine," he says.

"Awesome! Family road trip!" Ino squeals.

"We're not family," Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru say in unison.

"But it feels like it." Ino says with a dazzling smile.

"I agree," Tenten says. "So when do we leave?"

"Tonight."

**A/N: **So, there you go! Chapter two is up, and I'm sorry it took so long! Please forgive me :( Comment, subscribe, um…whatever else you do on here XD


	3. The Gathering

Book One~ Water

Chapter Three~ The Gathering

**A/N: **Hi guys :) I hope you liked the last chappie! Please comment and remember… ENJOY :D

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

When Naruto and Hinata reach their assigned bedroom, the blond stops and sets his bag down in front of the door. "Hinata," he says, stopping the girl in her tracks. He gives her a smile. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"It's only nine in the morning," Hinata states while glancing down at her watch. "We can have brunch around ten. How's that?" she brushes past him to open the door. "Besides, I want to unpack and get settled in."

The bluenette pauses in mid step as the door swings open and a thick cloud of dust cakes both of the teens' faces. The two stand there for a moment in awkward silence with their mouths and eyes closed, and then Hinata sets down her bag. "Naruto," she says as she wipes the dust from her eyes and opens her lids slowly. "I don't think we'll be having brunch."

"What about lunch?" Naruto asks with a hard swallow.

"Maybe linner."

…

Neji steps out of the front door to the Hyuga Estates, a small suit case in one hand and an apple in the other. Suddenly, something rustles in the bushes. The boy freezes, teeth sunk into his apple, as his eyes graze the area surrounding him. And then Tenten jumps out from the bushes with a _boo,_ causing Neji to jerk in shock and drop his apple onto the floor.

"Tenten." Neji says bitterly with a glare. The two glance down at the apple that's now buried in fresh snow.

"Sorry," Tenten says sheepishly. "But I got you!"

"You got nothing."

"Oh come on, sour puss," Tenten plays, poking Neji in the side as he brushes past her. "I know what'll cheer you up."

"Do you have an apple in that bag of yours?" Neji asks.

"No."

"Then what is the big joy?"

"More like joy ride," Tenten says. "Or bundle of joy."

"You aren't making sense." Neji says, and stops to face her.

"What would you say if I told you we had a ride to Air Kingdom?"

Neji raises his eyebrows. "You have a ride? From where?"

"I'll tell you," Tenten says with a grin that reaches her eyes. "I have this pet kitten named Kyuubo. He's really sweet and-"

"What does this have to do with anything?" Neji interrupts boredly. Tenten frowns. "Sorry."

"Anyway," Tenten continues, ignoring his comment. "Kyuubo ran away a few weeks ago and I just found him yesterday. He's actually my best friend and my _house_."

"Your house?"

"My house."

Suddenly, the brunette pulls a kitten from behind her back with a soft smile. "Hi Kyuubo," she sings. And then she begins to make off chirping noises. Neji gives her a strange, horrified look, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching.

"Tenten, would you stop that-"

Tenten closes her mouth and just as soon as the sound has stopped, it starts again, but this time that cat is making the chirping noises. The copper colored kitten makes little noises, staring up into Tenten's eyes, and then closes his mouth and turns to Neji.

Neji stands there, still as a statue.

And then Tenten sets Kyuubo down and he begins to expand. The two back up to give him some room as he grows to the size of a bus. His claws erect, his eyes glow a bright crimson, and his tail begins to turn in a circular motion.

"Your cat is a bus?" Neji shouts over the rushing noise of the wind created from Kyuubo's tail.

"Yes," she shouts back. "That's what I said!"

"You said he was your house!"

"Oh yeah…" she mutters. "Well he's my bus too! Plus, he flies!"

Neji tilts his head back so he can view that cat fully. His ears expand to the size of golf carts, collecting enough air to pick him off the ground. "He must be one of the mutated ones." Neji mutters.

"Hop in," Tenten shouts. "Before he takes off!"

"I'm not climbing into a cat's mouth." Neji says in disgust.

"Come on, he's going to leave." Tenten says. "Just get in. I swear it doesn't stink."

Neji begins to cross his arms when Tenten reaches over and pulls him into the mouth. Neji makes a yelping sound in protest, but doesn't get far because Kyuubo is already beginning to take off. "To the forest!" Tenten shouts to the cat.

And then she settles down, taking a seat on one of the duller teeth. Neji stares at her in wonder, his eyes big and round. Tenten grins and pats the tooth beside her. "Take a picture. It'll last longer."

"Maybe I won't need to." Neji says as he finally gives in and takes a seat.

"What does that mean?"

Neji shrugs. "I guess it means… We'll be spending a lot of time together."

Tenten, nonplussed, shakes her head with a laugh. "You're strange, you know that?"

"I'm strange? You're the one with the flying cat."

"How is that strange?" Tenten asks. "There are all kinds of odd animals out there."

"Yeah, but a cat who flies?"

"There aren't many of them." Tenten says sadly. "A lot of the chemicals changed the animals into beasts that can fly. But some of the cats…well, the chemicals were too strong for them and they…died." Tenten wipes a tear from her eye. "But Kyuubo survived, and that's why he's one of the only flying cats. He gets lonely sometimes because he can't find a mate." She rubs Kyuubo's gums sympathetically.

Neji gives her an odd look, and then turns away slowly. "You're odd, Tenten." He says quietly. "But I like that about you."

…

"Hey, where's Tenten?" Ino asks.

"What do you mean? I thought you were following her." Sasuke says.

"No, I thought you were." Ino retorts.

"Where's Shikamaru?"

"Oh no, we lost both of them!" Ino shouts while tugging at her platinum blond hair. "What do we do? It's dark and cold and I can't see anything in this snow!"

"Ino, calm down, it's not even snowing that hard." Sasuke says.

"What are you talking about?" Ino shrieks. "I can't see in front of my face!"

Sasuke glances over his shoulder at the shrieking blond, his eyebrows furrowing. The girl is waving her arms around frantically, her eyes fluttering open and closed every .3 seconds. Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Ino," he says. "Where am I?"

"Shikamaru?" Ino says while squinting into the distance.

Sasuke frowns. Suddenly, a shuriken slices through the air, missing him by an inch and shredding of two inches of his hair. His eyes widen, a curse slipping from his lips. He grabs Ino by the shoulders and knocks her to the ground, shielding her with his body. "Dammit." He mutters. "She's under some sort of genjutsu. But who would be able to perform something like that?"

Someone chuckles from within the forest. "Who's there?" Sasuke shouts, his gaze narrowing. A silhouette appears in the space between two trees. Sasuke's frown deepens. "I said, who's there?" Sasuke shouts while spitting fire from his mouth. They come out as balls of fire that spiral in circles. The person dodges all of them easily, and then sends something of his own back.

It's a ball of ice so big, it could match an elephant in size. Sasuke cradles Ino in his arms and leaps for the trees. When he's at least sixty feet in the air, the branch beneath him brakes from being scraped by the block of ice, and the two fall towards the ground.

"Shit," Sasuke shouts as Ino screams and thrashes about in his arms. He quickly twists around so he's facing the ground and spits out a bunch of fire balls, which melt the block of ice beneath them. As they near the ground, the ice melting with them, Sasuke closes his mouth and twists back around. They land with a thud on a mound of slushy snow. Sasuke grunts as an icy sting prickles his skin, Ino screaming, as usual.

"Had enough, oh Great Uchiha?" the man taunts.

Sasuke shoves Ino off of him and gets to his feet. "I'll ask once more. Who are you?" Sasuke says.

"I think it's a bit late for introductions." The man says.

"Then it's on you."

Sasuke hurls a handful of branches that he's lit on fire. The man raises a wall of snow to block the objects, but the sticks poke through and the flames begins to melt the snow. He throws two more branches just as the snow lands at his feet in a mushy puddle. The man, unable to defend himself, ducks. One of the branches hits him, though. It grazes his left cheek, leaving a scar.

He hollers in pain, shoving his face into the puddle at his feet to cool down the burn. Sasuke takes his chance and grabs Ino's hand. They flee from the forest, Ino's vision returning back to normal since the man's jutsu had been broken from the burn.

They stop when they reach the edge of the forest, the two of them bending over and gasping for breath. "What was that all about?" Ino asks breathily. Sasuke doesn't reply, but instead stares at the melting snow at his feet.

_I've gotten too worked up, _he thinks.

"Ino? Sasuke?" someone says from the forest. The two turn at the sound of the voice, and Shikamaru appears before them, worry etched onto his face. Ino throws herself at him, her arms circling his neck and her lips finding his.

"Oh my gosh, Shika, this guy attacked us!" she exclaims between kisses.

Shikamaru pulls away from her slightly and gives Sasuke a worried look. "I'm fine." Sasuke says. "And so is Ino, thanks to me."

"Oh, it's always about being the hero." She mutters with the roll of her eyes.

"Well you'd be dead if it weren't for me." He says.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asks before Ino can retort.

"I don't know. This guy came out from nowhere and attacked us. He put Ino under a genjutsu and then began some water bending stuff." Sasuke pauses, giving his demeanor and words more of dramatic tone. "And he knew my name."

"Oh yeah," Ino says with a nod. "He called him, _oh Great Uchiha._"

"Really?" Shikamaru says. "Interesting."

…

Naruto stretches out on his bed, curling his toes and raising his arms above his head. "Man," he says. "I'm beat. Working is hard."

"No kidding." Hinata says quietly. Her eyes lift from the dirtied floor that she's scrubbing to Naruto's idle form, and her eyes widen. "Naruto! I didn't clean the bed yet!"

Naruto shrugs. "So what? What's a little dust?"

"You mean what's a little venom? From that spider crawling on your face." Hinata points out.

Naruto's eyes widen and a shriek erupts from his throat. He sits straight up, his hands smacking his cheeks wildly. Hinata giggles at the blond wriggles around on the bed, creating even more of a dust cloud in the atmosphere. "I think you got it." Hinata says.

Naruto swallows, a terrified look in his eyes. "Can we please go have some ramen?" he pleads, his hands clasped together.

"Oh, alright." Hinata says with a grin. Naruto jumps to his feet, a lopsided grin on his face. He heads for the door and opens it wide for the two of them. Just then, a box flies from out of nowhere and lands smack dab in the middle of his face. The box slides down his cheek and falls to the floor with a thud.

"Hey, would you watch it!" he shouts to the mail man, waving his arms frantically over his head.

"Naruto, take a look at this." Hinata says as she picks up the box and cradles it in her arms. Naruto turns around, his eyes widening at the sight before him. In Hinata's hands is a robin egg blue scroll with a mahogany wood rod in the center. The blond comes up to her side, peers over her shoulder.

"Wow, what is this stuff?' Naruto says in awe.

"Look," Hinata points to one of the pictures with her fingertip. "This one is snow bending."

"Snow? Isn't that just water?"

"It explains it here. These bending practices are to sharpen ones bending abilities."

"I don't get it."

"Okay, so say you're a water bender. If you want to be more precise and effective, you practice bending only one thing. Like, say you were in a forest and the ground is covered in snow," Naruto takes a seat cross legged on the floor, Hinata following suit. "So you want to bend only one of the snow flakes, not all of them."

"But that's still just water bending. What's the difference?" Naruto says, perplexed.

"Okay, say you were swimming in an ocean and it starts to snow. You'd want to keep the snow away from you-"

"It's all water though."

"But it's the _type_ of water you're bending-"

"Water is water, whether it's cold or warm."

"This has nothing to do with temperature!"

"I'm just saying! How does bending snow in an ocean sharpen your bending?"

"Why don't you try it!" Hinata shouts.

Naruto's lips pucker in a shocked expression, his eyes going wide and round. Hinata sighs.

"Look, say someone with highly skilled jutsu powers trapped one of your friends in a snowflake and you had to save them. You'd want to bend only that snowflake."

"So bend it." Naruto says with a shrug.

"It's not that easy. It's hard to control just one thing. Like a magnet and iron fillings. The magnet draws all of the iron fillings, not certain ones. It's hard to keep them away from the magnet."

"Oh."

"Alright," Hinata lets out a breath while glancing back down at the scroll. "Hm," she furrows her brows. "It also says that these bending practices are for opposite benders."

"I'm still not following."

"It means if you were a fire bender, you wouldn't be able to bend water. But if you practice hard enough, you may be able to bend snow or ice. "

"Woah," Naruto's eyes widen to the size of plates. "That's awesome! So if I learn these first, do you think I'll have an easier time leaning the other elements?"

"I don't know." Hinata says. "How long did it take you to learn earth bending?"

"Haha, quite a while…" Naruto says while scratching the back of his neck.

"It's always worth a shot."

"Please excuse the interruption," someone says over a set of speakers. Both teens turn their heads in the direction of the noise.

"There are speakers in here?" Naruto says.

"It is now past nine. Please get to bed. Thank you."

"Aw, what?" Naruto shouts.

"You can't come out of your room after nine?" Hinata asks.

"Yeah, I forgot." Naruto says while hanging his head in shame. "Monks need their rest because they have to get up early to meditate. We're locked in here until four am."

"They don't expect us to wake up at four, do they?" Hinata asks, a look of horror on her face. "Because I sleep in to five thirty."

Naruto's jaw drops.

"Man, I can't believe we missed breakfast, lunch, _and _dinner!" he whines.

"It's not so bad. We'll have a big breakfast." Hinata says cheerfully.

"Whatever," Naruto mumbles. "So, um…who's sleeping where?"

"Oh," a blush spreads to the girl's cheeks. "I…I forgot there was only one bed."

"Well, we can share it." Naruto offers.

"Oh no, that wouldn't be very…righteous." Hinata says quietly, her eyes darting to her feet.

"Then I'll sleep on the floor." Naruto says.

"No! That wouldn't be fair. It is your room, after all."

"Ladies don't sleep on floors."

"But-"

"It's fine. I can bend a bed out of the wood floors." Naruto says with the wave of his hand. Then he motions for Hinata to step back, and after a second of concentration, he lifts part of the floor and molds it into the shape of a hammock. Then he grins and lets his hands fall to his sides. "Perfect."

Hinata takes the blanket off of the bed and drapes it over his hammock. Then she reaches into her bag and pulls out a purple and indigo quilt sequined with pearls. "Is there a bathroom in here?" she asks.

"Yeah, right there." Naruto says, and points towards a door in the corner of the room. The girl takes her bag with her and heads to the bathroom. Moments after she's disappeared, a scream is heard. Naruto dashes to the back of the room, eyes wide and heart thumping wildly in his chest. "What's going on?" he asks.

"Spiders! Spiders!" Hinata shouts as she climbs on top of the toilet seat. Naruto grimaces.

"Man, I never get a break."

…

"So, where did you leave those morons?" Neji asks after a second of smooth flying.

"Well, halfway through our walk here, Shikamaru and I realized we'd lost the other two. So he said he'd go back and look for them." Tenten answers.

"So we're headed there?"

"Yeah," Tenten hops to her feet. "In fact, we should be there by now. It shouldn't be taking this long." She peers into a glowing red window which Neji assumes is Kyuubo's eye, and then she peeks her head back out. "We're here. Come on."

The two exit Kyuubo's mouth and begin the small trek towards the three confused teens at the edge of the clearing. "Ino? Shikamaru? Sasuke?" Tenten calls. The three look up at the sound of Tenten's voice. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What happened?"

"It was no ghost." Shikamaru says. "But it was a water bender and he attacked Ino and Sasuke."

"Actually," Sasuke interrupts. "There was something oddly familiar about that man."

"There he goes again." Ino says with the roll of her eyes. "He's always saying something ominous and crazy."

"Crazy? Bitch, please."

Tenten and Ino screw their faces up, their teeth ripping at their lips as they try desperately not to laugh at the stoic boy's comment. Neji lets out a sigh. "We need to get going. We've already lost enough time."

"How will we get there?" Ino asks.

"Via Kyuubo," Neji mumbles.

"Uhhhhh…"

"He's my cat." Tenten explains.

"Oh," Ino says, a look of confusion plastered onto her face. "We're riding your cat?"

"Yup."

"He can fly?" Shikamaru asks.

"Yes,"

"All the way to Air Kingdom?" Ino asks.

"YES!" Tenten shouts. "He could fly us to the moon to grab a slice of cheese if you wanted! Just get in!"

Ino and Shikamaru share a petrified look before hopping in, hand in hand. Tenten turns to Sasuke with a look of impatience. "We don't have all day, duck-arse," she spits. "Now get in!"

Sasuke shoots her a glare but says nothing as he walks along the "red carpet." When all are settled on their own tooth, Kyuubo takes off towards Air Kingdom.

…

The moon turns its back on the brilliant meadow of roses, casting a dark shadow over their velvety beauty. Beyond the meadow is a thicket in the shape of a cave. Vines of nightshade and thorns weave around the entrance, a garden of venomous plants guard the entrance. A man in a purple robe exits the thicket, the darkness shading his face. He bends down and retrieves one of the plants, sticks it into a glass tube, and enters the cave once more.

…

"Naruto," someone whispers. Two soft hands gently shake him awake, the fingernails dipping into his skin. Naruto blinks, mumbles something incoherent, and turns over in his sleep. Hinata sighs. "Naruto, wake up. We have visitors."

"I don't want to smash the spiders again." He moans. "You do it."

"Are you calling me a spider?" Ino shouts.

Naruto's eyes open and he sits up. "I'm awake," he says automatically, and then turns to the direction of the voice. "Who are you? You sound so much like Sakura, I could have sworn…"

"You know Sakura?" Ino says, surprised.

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, her best friend." The blond says proudly.

"Best friend? I thought Hinata was her best friend."

Ino turns to Hinata, her smile morphing into a frown. "Best friend? That would be me."

"Well, I'm not her _best_ friend." Hinata mumbles. She gives Naruto a glare from the corner of her eye.

Neji sighs dramatically. "Hinata, this is Ino, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Tenten. Guys, this is my cousin, Hinata. Her father is the Hokage of Water Tribe. And this is Naruto, the avatar."

"Wait, when did you guys get here?" Hinata asks.

"Yeah and how did you find us?" Naruto adds in horror as he crawls to the corner of his hammock.

Tenten laughs and steps closer to him, curling and uncurling her fingers creepily. "We followed you." She says in a scary tone.

"Hinata…" Naruto says in a scared voice.

"Tenten, stop. You're scaring him." Neji says.

"I'm not scared!"

"Anyway, your father asked me to come and look after you, as long as you're with Naruto." Neji continues.

"Why?" Hinata inquires.

"Because, as you can see…" Tenten says as she jabs her thumb towards the cowering blond.

"And you guys are all here because…?"

"Well, I had to take Tenten along," Neji states.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Naruto says teasingly. Neji narrows his gaze at the blond.

"Shikamaru is here visiting Neji," Tenten says cheerfully. Neji bites his lip. Him, Shikamaru, and Sasuke share a look just as Ino opens her mouth.

"What do you mean, "to visit?" Shikamaru is here because he's on the run-" Ino begins, but Shikamaru places a hand over her mouth to keep anything else from coming out.

"On the run?" Tenten repeats. "Neji, what are they talking about?"

Neji groans.

"Shikamaru stole something." Sasuke says with a smirk. Neji and Shikamaru shoot him a glare. "So he came to Neji for help. Ino, of course, couldn't live without him so she came too."

Ino rips Shikamaru's hand away from her mouth. "Hey, don't forget that you're on the run too. That's why you're here!"

"That's not why." Sasuke says.

Ino sticks her tongue out at him.

"Hold on," Hinata says. "I'm confused. Neji, dad didn't trust me with Naruto so he sent you to accompany us on our trip." Neji nods. "And you brought your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend-"

"And you invited these two because they're criminals on the run, and she's tagging along because she's a love sick puppy?"

Ino crosses her arms. "Don't be jealous because I'm Sakura's best friend."

"I'm not jealous." Hinata says through gritted teeth.

"I'd say you've got it down." Sasuke interrupts. "Except one thing. Naruto is the avatar and we're criminals. Heroes and criminals don't mix well."

"You've got that right," Naruto says while rising to his feet. "I want all of you out of my room and away from Hinata."

"Naruto," Hinata says in astonishment.

"Listen, this is my mission, so I can't leave." Neji says.

"Yeah, who do you think you are, telling us to leave like that?" Tenten adds. "After we flew all the way here, too. Poor Kyuubo is so tired." She pulls the copper kitten from behind her back and looks down on him in sympathy. "Do you have any milk for him?"

"You have a cat?" Naruto says as his eyes grow huge and glimmery. "I love cats!" he reaches out to hold the kitten in his arms, but Tenten turns away, a growl erupting from her throat.

"She's very protective of him." Neji states.

"Milk." Tenten says. "Now."

"We don't have any milk," Hinata says. "We just moved in."

"But there is ramen down the street, which is where we were going to go for breakfast." Naruto says. "I'm sure they'll give your cat some milk or something."

Tenten grins.

"Now, back to you two." Naruto says. "What did you steal, exactly?"

"Nothing," Shikamaru says.

"A scroll." Ino states blindly.

"Ino!" Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru shout.

"Whaaat?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "He stole a scroll. End of story."

"What's your deal, then?" Naruto asks.

Sasuke frowns. "My deal….is none of your business."

The room is silent for a moment, and then Hinata speaks.

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." She tells Neji as she places a hand on her shoulder. "So who wants ramen?"

"Alright!" Tenten shouts as she and Kyuubo dash out of the room.

"Tenten!" Neji calls after her, like a lost child. He sighs and runs to catch up with her.

"Can't we have something less barbaric to eat?" Ino mumbles as she and Shikamaru exit the room after the other two. Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto are left. Naruto and Sasuke are staring each other down with a very nervous and uncomfortable Hinata standing in between them.

Then Sasuke exits the room, leaving Naruto and Hinata. "I don't trust him." Naruto says.

"He's fine. He's one of Neji's friends."

"I don't believe that." Hinata shrugs off his words and heads for the door, but Naruto stops her by grabbing her wrist. She turns around, shocked. "I don't want him near you. Okay?"

Hinata nods. And with that, Naruto rises from his cocoon and heads for the door. "Naruto..." Hinata says tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should put on some clothes."

"No shirt, no service, right?" he says with a chuckle, his cheeks reddening.

"You mean no pants…?"

Naruto glances down.

"Oops,"

**A/N: **That one wasn't too good. Sorry about that :( I'm not having such a great day… But at least I posted, right? Well, I hope you all enjoyed :) Please comment!


	4. An Old Friend and a New Secret

Book One~ Water

Chapter Four~ an Old Friend and a New Secret

**A/N: **Hi guys :) I'm going to skip the introduction today because I have writer's block and I just wanna start typing. So, here it is. Comment and enjoy :)

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"I cannot believe I'm about to say this," Ino starts as the group of teens exit the ramen shop. They make their way down a cobblestone street that leads straight to the Hokage's office, Naruto mentally preparing himself for the berating Tsunade was going to give him as Ino chats on. "But Naruto, that ramen was pretty delicious."

Naruto grins, his thoughts cracking like a mirror upon Ino's words and falling into the abyss of forgetfulness. He chuckles. "Yeah, well, considering you insulted the ramen name upon entering the shop, I'd say you don't deserve its tastiness."

Ino rolls her eyes. "Insulted? First of all, asking if they sell coffee is_ not_ insulting, and secondly, they're lucky to have me in their shop anyway. It's not every day someone as pretty as me eats out. That insult would be like a comment coming from my mouth."

"Oh really?" Sasuke tests, "The only reason you don't eat out is because you don't have the money to."

"Hey, watch it, _bum_." Ino sneers.

"We're here," Hinata interrupts. She turns to Naruto, her eyebrows etched into a worried position. "Are you okay? You ready for this?"

Naruto nods while taking a deep breath. "Yeah," he says. "I can handle it." Then he turns to the others and says, "You guys are going to have to introduce yourselves. Don't mention the fact that you two are criminals."

"Yeah, we know." Sasuke says. "It's Ino's huge mouth that needs _the talk_."

"Oh, whatever," the blond says with the wave of her hand. "I won't mention it, okay? Let's just go. She's just the Hokage; she isn't some famous fashion model. It's not like she's important." She starts up the steps, leaving the others in a puddle of sweat drops.

"And guys," Naruto whispers to the other three boys. "When you see her, keep your eyes on hers."

"Why?" Shikamaru asks.

"You'll see."

…

"Hello, Tsunade-sama," Hinata says softly, adding a polite bow. "May we come in?"

"Yes," Tsunade calls from the other side of the room. "You know you two don't have to ask. Naruto's like family."

"Well, we have some visitors." Hinata says, and steps aside to let the newbies in. Ino's the first to step in, an arrogant look on her face. Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke follow after, their eyes intently focused on Tsunade's. Tenten, Naruto, and Hinata enter last and move to the front of the group.

"Who do we have here?" Tsunade says playfully as she eyes the group up and down. "Hm, a pretty little girl and three very handsome young men. Naruto?"

"Tsunade, this is Ino…um…" he turns to the blond and whispers, "What's your last name?" Ino rolls her eyes.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, and this is Shikamaru Nara, Sasuke Uchiha, Tenten…um… yeah, and Neji Hyuga." Ino introduces. Tenten rolls her eyes at the blond as Naruto crosses his arms over his chest in a pout, Ino giving him a sly grin and a stuck out tongue.

"And they're here because…?" Tsunade asks.

Neji steps forward, bows, and then begins his explanation. "Hello, Tsunade-sama. May I say that Air Kingdom is lovely?" Tsunade narrows her gaze on him suspiciously. "I am Neji Hyuga, Hinata's cousin. I was sent by my uncle to guard her on her and Naruto's journey."

"Oh, yes, Neji Hyuga. The faithful, loyal, and ever strong Branch Member. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tsunade says with a warm smile. "So who are your friends?"

"Tenten is my...um…_friend_," Neji says nervously. "So I couldn't really leave her. Shikamaru, Ino, and Sasuke were supposed to visit me for a few months but because I was sent on this mission, I decided to bring them along. I hope I did not cause a problem." Neji bows once more.

"Why would you?" Tsunade bellows with a graceful laugh. "The more the merrier! I just hope you guys know some bending moves that could help out Mr. Incapable."

"Hey!" Naruto shouts in protest.

"Oh hush," Tsunade says with the wave of her hand. "So tell me about your bending skills." She nods her head towards Ino.

"Well, I practice metal bending and mind control." She says proudly.

Tsunade raises her eyebrows. "You know metal bending? Excellent! That should prove helpful to Naruto's training." She nods her head at Tenten.

"Miss Tsunade," Tenten says respectively with a bow. "I am Tenten, of Water Tribe and I know both water and air bending."

"Oh really?" Tsunade raises her eyebrows and leans forward, resting her chin on her laced fingers. "You know air bending as well?"

"That's correct, ma'am."

"How is that so? Air Bending is the only element that isn't bendable for opposite elemental benders."

"I…never really thought about it," Tenten says. "Neji can bend both water and earth."

The group, including Tsunade, turns to Neji with raised eyebrows. He laughs nervously. "Actually," he says. "I can't bend earth. I can only bend dirt."

"What?" Tenten says, astonished. "But…I thought you were bibendual!"

"Tenten," Tsunade interrupts. "Bibendual is where you can bend the element you were born to bend and a particle from another element. Say you're an earth bender but you practice snow bending. You can bend both earth and snow, but you cannot bend water."

"But snow is water." Tenten argues.

"Here we go again." Naruto and Hinata say in unison.

"It's a bit difficult to understand. You must study the topic in order to correctly understand the material. But you…you're different. There must be something about you." Tsunade narrows her gaze on the brunette, lost in thought.

"Tsunade-sama," Naruto whines. "Stop it. You're going to scare them away!"

"Shut up!" she roars. The group jerks backwards, staring at the busty blond with wide eyes. "Anyways, Sasuke…? Would you mind explaining your skills?" she gives him a mistrustful look, but as soon as it crosses her face, it's gone.

"I am a fire bender." Sasuke states. "That's all."

"Shikamaru?"

"I practice mind control and shadow control." He says.

"Hm, an interesting skill… And Neji," Tsunade says. "We know you bend water and…_dirt_. Is that all?"

"Yes, ma'am." Neji says.

"Alright," she says. "That clears things up. Ino will be entrusted with the mission of teaching Naruto metal bending. Sasuke will have the task of fire bending. Neji will help sharpen Naruto's earth bending skills by helping with the task of dirt bending, and can also help with water bending as well. Shikamaru will teach Naruto shadow and mind control. Hinata already knows her place." Tsunade smiles.

"Thank you," they all say in unison, and then bow.

"No problem. But there is something I'd like to clear up. Ino and Sasuke, are you two of Fire Nation?"

Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Sasuke freeze, their eyes widening and hearts ceasing to beat. "Duh," Ino says obliviously. "How else would he know fire bending and I know metal bending?"

"U huh," Tsunade says with a nod. "Well there's only one thing to say about that." Her hand moves to press a red button sitting on the top of her desk, and suddenly, a bamboo cage comes crashing down. Naruto grabs Hinata in his arms and sprints to the other side of the room just in time to miss being caged in. The others aren't as quick to act though, and are trapped inside the bamboo cage.

"Tsunade!" Naruto shouts. "What are you doing?"

"These people are traitors to Air Kingdom. We cannot have them waltzing around the village without first having their minds read." She explains.

"But that's my cousin!" Hinata protests. "He's of Water Tribe, a fellow ally to Air Kingdom! And so is Tenten!"

"Yes, Hinata, Neji and Tenten are of Water Tribe, but before any of them can walk along these streets, they need to have their minds checked in case they are spies." She narrows her gaze on Sasuke.

Naruto grips the bamboo bars, giving the group of teens a sympathetic look. Tenten sniffs, thrusting Kyuubo into Naruto's face. "Take care of him for me." She says dramatically. Naruto reaches in between the bars and scoops up the kitten in his arms. "Oh, and don't give him radishes. They make him gassy."

"Alright, we'll take these five off to Headquarters to be tested." Tsunade says. "They'll be back before nightfall."

"Really?" Naruto says with a wide grin. "That's enough time to finish cleaning the room! Then we can go out and have some more ramen!"

Everyone in the room groans.

"Not tonight, dimwit." Tsunade says. "Tomorrow night, maybe the next. Their minds are deeper than you'd expect. It will take nonstop searching if we want to get them back to you by then."

"Sorry, guys." Hinata says with a frown.

"No sweat," Tenten assures.

But behind the bars, Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke are sweating through their clothes. "They'll know about the stolen scroll." Shikamaru whispers.

"And my history." Sasuke adds.

"I know," Neji says. "But perhaps we can block those parts out."

"How?" Sasuke asks.

"Shikamaru knows mind control. Is there anything we can do to keep them from seeing those certain memories?"

"I don't know…maybe." Shikamaru says, pondering.

"Sure there is," Ino cuts in. The three boys turn to her. "But it's a bit tricky, especially if you can't use mind control."

"It doesn't matter. We don't have any time." Sasuke says.

"Just tell us." Neji adds.

"But you don't even have anything to hide!" Ino says to Neji.

"Well, there may be some…inappropriate things I should keep from them." He says.

The group grimaces.

"And Tenten," Tsunade says. "You'll be in a different facility."

"Huh?" the brunette says, wide eyed.

"We need to find out why you can bend more than one element." Tsunade explains. "But don't worry. It will only hurt a little."

"Neji!" Tenten shouts.

"Off with you two." Tsunade says to Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto turns to the group of teens. "We'll see you later." He says. "Don't take too long."

Hinata reaches in between the bars and clasps Neji's hand. "Be careful. You know what they might see." She whispers.

"I know."

And then the two are gone, leaving Tsunade and the group of scared teens. "Tah-tah," she sings, and then presses the button. The box is thrust into the air and sent down a spiraling tunnel to Headquarters. "There's something fishy about that group," Tsunade says. "And I'm going to find out what."

…

Naruto and Hinata begin their walk back to the apartment, neither speaking. Naruto glances at Hinata through the corner of his eye, his frown deepening. Hinata's back is hunched a bit, her eyebrows furrowed and her frown deepening with each step. Naruto lets out a depressed sigh. "Come on, Hinata, don't be so down. They'll be back soon."

"If they let them out." Hinata mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asks.

Hinata shakes her head. "It's just…Shikamaru and Sasuke are criminals. Once they read their minds, they'll either be thrown out of Air Kingdom or persecuted." She shakes her head again, throwing her hands in the air. "Neji has some secrets, too, and Tenten…" she shrugs. "I don't know her, but she might as well. And Ino's from Fire Nation so she must have some dirt."

"Well, I'm sure everything will work out." Naruto says as he pets Kyuubo's head. "Besides, they didn't test you, and you're not from Air Kingdom."

"I guess it's because Tsunade assigned me the mission herself."

"But didn't Tsunade assign Neji's mission too?" Naruto inquires.

Hinata pauses, causing Naruto to bump into her and accidentally drop Kyuubo. The kitten falls from the boy's arms and dashes down the street, leaving Naruto with a mouth shaped like an "o" and Hinata mumbling to herself."You're right!" Hinata exclaims. "Tsunade must be up to something!"

"Um, Hinata," Naruto interrupts. The girl turns to him in question as Naruto points towards the dark alleyway that Kyuubo had just run into a minute ago. Naruto and Hinata share a worried look before darting towards the alley. "Kyuubo!" Naruto calls. "Kyuubo, come back!"

"Look," Hinata says while pointing at a dumpster. "He's climbing in there!"

The two make their way towards the dumpster and peer in. "What's he doing?" Naruto wonders aloud.

"He's eating something." Naruto climbs into the dumpster and begins to dig through the trash towards the kitten. "Naruto, what are you doing?!"

"I'm getting Tenten's most prized and loved possession!" Naruto answers. "You know, so she doesn't kill me?" he scoops the kitten up in his arms, narrowing his gaze at the small, red item in its mouth. "What's this?" he says while tugging at it. Kyuubo digs his teeth into the thing and pulls his head back, refusing to give it to Naruto. "Come on, let me see it!"

"Um, Naruto," Hinata says frantically. The sound of footsteps echoes through the alley. "I think we have a visitor."

Naruto looks up in time to see a man with jagged, white hair and blue eyes snatch Hinata in his arms. She screams, thrashing and kicking, but to no avail. The man snickers, looking down at the girl with lustful eyes. "Look who we have here. A lady and a tramp." He turns to Naruto with a smirk.

"Let go of her." Naruto growls while setting down the kitten.

"I don't think so," the man says while tightening his grip. "In fact, I think I'll keep this beaute. She's got a nice form, don't you think?"

"Let go of her!" Naruto shouts as he hops over the edge of the dumpster and lands on his feet.

"What's in it for me?"

"How about I don't beat your ass?"

The man throws his head back and lets out a cackle. Hinata winces as he digs his nails into her skin. "Naruto," she whimpers. Her eyes roam the alleyway for a source of water, but to no avail. The blond narrows his gaze on the man, and without another thought, lifts the ground beneath him. His laughter is cut short when he loses his balance, the ground beneath him rising ten feet in the air, knocking him off of his feet and stumbling toward Naruto, Hinata still in his grip.

Hinata lets out a scream as she and the man fall towards the ground but Naruto is one step ahead. He jumps into the air, punches the man in the face, and grabs Hinata. The man falls to the ground with a thud, his back cracking in the process and a fountain of blood spurting from his mouth. Naruto lands on his feet and sets Hinata down gently. She lets out a relieved breath before wrapping her arms around the boy's neck.

"Naruto," she breathes. "My Kami, thank you."

"No problem," the boy says, embarrassed, as a red blush tints his cheeks.

"You think you can beat me?" the man says as he rises from the ground, a smirk on his face.

"Was that fall funny to you?" Naruto asks threateningly. "Wipe that smirk off of your face!"

The man chuckles again, causing Naruto to clench his fists tightly. "Come on, now, Naruto. You don't think you can beat me, do you? You've barely had any training."

Naruto's eyes widen.

"How'd you know my-"

"Don't think too much of it," the man interrupts. "I know this little lady, too. Hinata Hyuga, correct?"

"What do you want?" Hinata shouts. "And who are you?"

"That's for me to know and me to know." The man answers. "But I will answer your second question. My name is Suigetsu, and I'm an old friend of Sasuke's." the two teens' eyes widen. "Tell him I said hi, would you?" And then the man begins to melt into a puddle.

"What the-? Hey, wait!" Naruto shouts after him. But it's already too late because the man's gone and all that's left is a small puddle of water.

"Who was he?" Hinata asks.

"Suigetsu," Naruto answers.

"I know that. I meant,_ who_ was he?"

"I don't know what that means, but we're gonna find out." Naruto answers.

Hinata sweat drops.

The boy turns back to the dumpster where a trembling Kyuubo is sitting. "Oh, poor thing. He's so scared." Naruto coos.

"No, I don't think it's that." Hinata says as she plugs her nose. "What was that he ate just now?"

"Um, I don't know…" Naruto picks up a piece of what was left over of Kyuubo's snack and hands it to the girl.

"Just as I thought." She says. "Radish."

…

"Well, I think the bathroom is all cleaned." Naruto says.

"Thank goodness, because I am _never _taking a shower in a spider infested bathroom ever again." Hinata says as she enters the bathroom and takes a seat on the toilet. She rests her elbows on her knees and sighs. "How do you think the others are doing?" she asks.

Naruto shrugs as he leans over the bathroom counter to inspect his right cheek. "What's on my face?" he mumbles. "Is that a mole or what?"

"Naruto," Hinata scolds. "Would you get over yourself and think about the important stuff?"

"Oh, you mean how I saved you today or how you clung to me like an obsessed fangirl?" Naruto asks with a smirk. He turns to face the blushing beauty, and his smirk turns into a soft smile.

"I was not _clinging_." She says, averting her gaze to her feet.

"I know," Naruto says quietly. "But it felt nice, for a change." And then he exits the bathroom, leaving a confused and blushing Hinata. The girl follows him out of the bathroom, a look of confusion plastered to her face.

"What does that mean?" Hinata asks.

"Does Kyuubo look sick to you?" Naruto asks, avoiding Hinatas question. He kneels beside the kitten lying asleep on Hinata's bed and pets its belly. "I'm not sure if the radishes_ just_ make him gassy."

"Naruto," Hinata says softly as she takes a seat beside Kyuubo on her bed. She sits cross legged in the lotus position, and rests her chin in her palm.

"Maybe he needs some milk. We should go to the market." He interrupts.

"Do your parents live around here?" Hinata asks suddenly. Naruto's face falls. He turns his back towards the girl.

"I…don't know." He says.

"What do you mean? Did they move or something?"

"No," Naruto shakes his head slowly. "I never really knew them."

"Oh…"

"So, what about that milk?" Naruto says.

"Naruto…"

The boy begins to climb to his feet, but Hinata stops him by resting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back down. The two sit like that for a moment, both of their cheeks reddening at the contact. Hinata lets out a breath. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked, but I just was wondering why you always look so alone…and sad."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto exclaims while twisting around to face the girl. Hinata jerks back, startled, as he looks her in the eyes and says, "I'm always happy!"

"Maybe on the outside," Hinata says quietly as she rests her hands back on his shoulders. Naruto's eyes follow her arms up to her shoulders, neck, and finally, her eyes. "But on the inside," she pokes him on the left side of his chest, right above his heart. "You're sad."

Naruto smiles and places a hand over Hinata's, moving it to the other side of his chest. "Your heart is right here." He says.

Hinata bites her lips to keep the laugh bubbling inside of her, well, inside of her. "Naruto," she says. But then she shakes her and smiles. "Never mind."

Naruto wraps two of his fingers around the lot of her fingers and squeezes. "Thank you," he whispers before closing his eyes and resting his head beside Kyuubo's sleeping form. Hinata smiles to herself and leans her head against the wall.

_Thank you, Kami! _She shouts in her head.

_Thank you, Kami… For letting me share some of my life with this girl. _Naruto thinks just before he falls into unconsciousness.

…

"What do you think?" Tsunade asks as she makes her way into one of the laboratories.

"Well, we've tested her seventh and sixth chakras," a man says. "But so far nothing has come up. We'll have to test all of the chakras to see why she can bend more than one element."

Tsunade nods her head.

"Alright. Thank you for your time." she says before exiting the room and making her way towards the other laboratory. As she enters, a scream can be heard through the doors to the laboratory Tenten is being held in. "Must be testing the root chakra. Poor girl. Must be a virgin." She shakes her head as the doors close behind her, leaving the echoes of Tenten's scream to ring through the halls.

**A/N: **Sorry that wasn't too good -_- I've been having writer's block and I'm honestly just happy I could write this chapter. Hope you guys did enjoy, even a little bit. Comment please :)


	5. Another Friend, Another Problem

Book One~Water

Chapter Five~ Another Friend, Another Problem

**A/N: **Hi guys :) I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and will enjoy this next one too! Comment, please, and enjoy!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

Dark blankets the night; the moon and stars are hiding, along with a few furry creatures looking for a place to sleep for the night. Naruto shivers, rolling over in his bed of wood. Hinata glances at him from her spot on the bed. "Cold?" she asks. Naruto turns to face her, resting his head in his hand.

"Yeah, it's never been this cold in Air Kingdom before. Not that I remember, anyway." He shrugs.

"Well, you don't have much of a blanket." Hinata points out. "That thing's meant for a seven year old, tops."

"I'll be fine." He assures.

"You sure?"

"Yup."

Hinata, not entirely satisfied, lies back down and folds her hands over his stomach. Her eyes begin to close when suddenly, a thought occurs to her. "Oh crap!" she shouts.

"What?"

"Where are the others going to sleep? There's not enough room in here for everyone…"

"I'm sure Granny Tsunade will figure something out." Naruto mumbles while closing his eyes idly.

"Naruto, I think something is up with _Lady_ Tsunade." Hinata says tentatively.

Naruto opens his eyes with a sigh and sits up. "What do you mean?" he asks.

"I mean, she's been treating the others really meanly."

"They only met a few hours ago. So she's only been mean to them once. Besides, it's because they're of Fire Nation."

"Are you forgetting that my brother and Tenten are of Water Tribe?" Hinata inquires.

"Oh yeah…" he lets out another sigh, blowing his bangs out of his face. "If you wanna talk then I'll go make us some tea."

"Thanks," Hinata says.

"No problem." Naruto laughs. "Good thing we went shopping earlier…After our nap…" Naruto blushes.

"Yeah," Hinata agrees. "Or else Kyuubo would have eaten us by now."

The two share a laugh, glancing at the slumbering kitten beside Hinata.

"What's your favorite animal?" Naruto asks as he dumps a handful of jasmine leaves into the strainer. He moves over to the sink and fills the kettle with water, glancing briefly over his shoulder at the peaceful Hinata.

"I don't know…I like bunnies." Hinata muses softly.

"Really?"

"What's wrong with that?" Hinata asks.

Naruto shakes his head as he sets the kettle on the stove. He turns on the blazers before twisting around to face her. "You sort of look like a bunny." Hinata raises her eyebrows, shocked. Naruto lets out a chuckle. "I mean, your skin is so white and your eyes are so bright, like a bunny's."

Hinata's cheeks begin to burn pink so she bows her head, letting a curtain of hair frame her face and shield her blushing complexion from Naruto. "Yeah? Well you look like a cat." Hinata retorts.

"No wonder I like them so much."

Hinata falls back on her bed, scooping Kyuubo into her open hands and placing him on top of her abdomen. "Cats are nice." She mumbles.

"Yeah," Naruto agrees. "I sort of want my own."

"Well, until Tenten's done with her tests, you can have Kyuubo."

"He likes you better." Naruto says childishly.

Hinata giggles. "Oh, please," she says. "He only likes me for my comfortable bed."

"You mean your comfortable stomach?" Naruto says with a smirk.

"Is that a fat joke?"

Naruto opens his mouth to retort when the whistle of the kettle startles him. So instead, he gives her a smile and turns around to pour the tea. "You're…good with tea." Hinata says.

"I'm good with plants. Tea is just a part of my hobby."

"Really? You like to garden?" Hinata asks.

"Well…" he shrugs. "Not garden. That's for girls." Hinata rolls her eyes. "But watering plants, watching them grow." He shrugs again. "Must be from all of that time I spent in Earth Kingdom. It gets to you, after a while."

"Are you going to be obsessed with burning things when you start fire bending?"

Naruto laughs as he hands Hinata her mug of tea. He takes a seat beside her on the bed and sets his mug in between his legs. "I don' like fire." He says. "I'm sort of…afraid of it."

"Don't tell me," Hinata says. "Your hair caught on fire when you were a kid? And that's why you're so obsessed with it staying on your head?"

Naruto laughs. "No, but good guess." He's quiet for a moment as he runs his finger along the rim of his mug, staring down at the reflection in the greenish liquid. "I think my parents might have been in a fire. The village does speak about some disastrous fire that happened some years ago." He shrugs. "Just a hunch."

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Hinata says, and then takes a sip of her tea.

"Careful, it's-"

"Ouch!"

Hinata sets her mug on the floor, her other hand caressing her burnt lip. Naruto sets his down too, and then leans over to examine her lip. He rests his hand on top of hers and slowly drags it away. "I told you to be careful." He whispers, his eyes slowly lifting to meet hers. Hinata watches with wide, scared eyes as Naruto replaces her hand with his and gently caresses her bottom lip with his fingers.

Her cheeks heat to a thousand degrees as Naruto's eyes fall back to her lips. "They're so red." He mumbles. "And so are your cheeks." He grins at her reaction, an even deeper blush, and then leans in closer, if humanely possible. And in an instant, his lips are on top of hers. Hinata's eyes widen even more as his soft, warm lips mold to her blistered, hot ones.

Suddenly, Naruto realizes what he's done and jerks backwards. The two stare at each other for a moment in dazed shock, and then Naruto says, "Never happened?"

"Nope."

The boy slides onto the floor, grabs his mug of tea, and crawls into his own bed. Hinata leans her head against the wall behind her, a small smile gracing her lips. Kyuubo hops off of the bed and sneaks up behind the dazed, starry-eyed Naruto. The kitten leans forward and licks up a few drops of the tea in Naruto's hand, and then grimaces at the bitterness. He hops back onto the bed where Hinata cups her hand over his tiny head. Naruto brings the mug to his lips, takes a sip, and then lets out a sigh.

…

"Breakfast," a man says as he places a tray beside the drowsy brunette known as Tenten. She opens her eyes at the sound of the tray clattering on the floor beside her, and looks up at the man. He gives her a small smile before striding away pushing a cart full of trays. Tenten reaches for the roll of bread and chews on it.

"Unn," she moans. "Everything hurts!"

"Tell me about it." Someone says.

Tenten whips her head to the right, peering into the dark. "Who's there?" she asks.

"Calm down," the girl says. "And if you think those guys are done with you then you're in for a world of pain."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard them talking about you." She says. "Toss me some peaches?"

"Don't you have your own food?" Tenten asks skeptically.

"They don't feed me."

"What? Why not? That's so unfair!"

The girl laughs. "They don't think I need it. But trust me, I do."

"Why wouldn't you need it?" Tenten asks as she slides her tray across the room for the other girl. She reaches her arm through the bars of the cell she's being held in and grabs the tray, sliding it in between the floor and the bars.

"Thanks," she says while spooning some fruit into her mouth. "Ugh, prison food." She swallows. "Disgusting stuff, right there."

"Yeah, so why wouldn't you have to eat?" Tenten asks while taking a bit of her bread.

The girl snorts. "No idea. They think I'm a zombie or something."

"A zombie?"

"Yeah, pretty lame, huh?"

"I don't know…" Tenten says. "I mean, they must have some reason behind that theory, right?"

"Theory! That's it," the girl says. "But in their minds, it's not theory, it's truth."

"U huh," Tenten nods.

"So anyway, you want the dish on you?" she inquires.

"Oh, right."

"Here's the thing," the girl finishes the peaches and moves onto the green beans, skipping the meat loaf with a grimace. "They think you've got some weird mutation or something."

"Yeah, that's what Tsunade-sama said…"

"U-huh, well, they want to do some more testing on you. They say if you _are_ an odd mutation then they'll do some dissection stuff on you."

"Dissection!" Tenten shouts.

"Yup, now, um, what was that about Tsunade-sama? You've met her?"

"Yeah, but that's not important. They wanna cut me up!"

"Yeah, but what's she like?" the girl says, ignoring Tenten's comments.

"Um, she's mean, snooty, and really busty," Tenten says. She clutches her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?!"

"Hmm…And where's her office located?" the girl asks.

"I don't remember!" Tenten shouts. "Aw man, I need to get a hold of Naruto, Neji even!"

"Well if they're somewhere in this building then I can help you out, maybe."

Tenten whips her head back towards the shadow-cloaked girl. "Really?" Tenten says while crawling closer. "I'm listening."

…

Neji's eyes flutter open at the sudden throbbing pain in his head. He lets out a groan as he sits up with the help of his elbows. He turns to his right, surprised to find Shikamaru lying unconscious on what appears to be a dental chair. To the left he finds Sasuke, his head lolling back and forth idly. Neji shifts uncomfortably, finding himself tied to the chair with metal cuffs.

"If only…Ino were here…" he mumbles.

"Ino's mine," Shikamaru says drowsily. Neji turns to the boy, startled. "You have Tenten."

"Sleep talking? I thought that was below you." Neji scoffs.

Shikamaru opens his eyes, turning to the boy with one raised eyebrow. "Why do you want Ino?" he asks.

"Wait, were you asleep just now?" Neji inquires.

"No. I've been awake for hours."

"Well I was just thinking about how we could get out of here, if we had Ino."

"You mean the metal cuffs, right?" Shikamaru asks.

"Right."

"They aren't real metal." Shikamaru says. "They're plastic, painted silver to look like metal."

"Seriously? But they're so cold…"

"I can…burn them." Sasuke says weakly. The other two turn to him.

"No you can't," Shikamaru says with a sigh. "If we try escaping then it will look like we have something to hide."

"Speaking of which, were you able to do it?" Neji asks.

"Yeah. It was tough, but I did it."

"Explain it again," Sasuke says. "And is that why I feel like I'm hung over?"

"Yeah, that's it," Shikamaru says. "And what I did was use my Mind Control jutsu to dig through your mind and replace specific thoughts with others from my mind."

"How?" Neji asks.

"Well, I replaced Neji's thoughts about Tenten-"

The Hyuga blushes.

"-With a memory of climbing a tall tree and falling."

"Ahhh," Sasuke says, and then smirks at Neji.

"So does that mean you remember our memories?" Neji asks.

"No. If you transfer a memory then you won't be able to remember the memory exactly because you didn't experience firsthand. That's why I only remember the fact that you and Tenten…did something. I don't know what you did."

"Is that why I keep seeing puppies dancing in my head?" Sasuke inquires while looking above his head for some imaginary puppy.

"Yeah," Shikamaru says.

"Well I'm glad the memories are safe." Neji says. "You did get all of the ones I listed, right?"

"Every one." Shikamaru says.

"So what? We sit here until they decide to kill us off?" Sasuke says.

"They won't do that."

"How do you know? They've already chained us to dental chairs!"

"Because Neji is of water Tribe, an ally. If they did that then their friendship with Water Tribe would be history. Neji's our key out of here."

"And if they spare Neji and kill us…?"

"Let's hope Ino does something rash."

…

"You can do that?" Tenten says in shock.

"Sure thing. Got anything of that boyfriend's?" the girl holds out her hand with raised eyebrows.

"Um, let me see…Oh, I have his…" she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handful of dirt. "Dirt."

"Uh…."

"He bended it."

"Good as gold!" the girl shouts, and takes a pinch of dirt between her thumb and index finger. She holds it up to her nose and right as Tenten thinks she's about to sniff it, her tongue flicks out and snatches the dirt up. Tenten puckers her lips, eyes wide.

The girl tastes around, closing her eyes. And then she furrows her brows. "I found him," she says. Her eyes open and hastily, she spits the dirt onto the floor, wiping her tongue with her mouth repeatedly, grimacing.

"You okay?" Tenten asks.

"Oh sure. Normally it's hair or something. Anything without chakra." She shrugs. "Anyway, he's to the east of this building."

"So how do we get out?" Tenten asks.

"We? Oh, hun, I'm not taking you there."

"But don't you wanna be free too?" Tenten grins, putting her hands in front of her chest and moving them up and down. "Prison break…?"

The girl laughs. "Nah, I have some business to finish here. But I think we'll see each other again. Soon, even."

"Cool, so you're being released soon?"

"Something like that."

"Tenten!" someone shouts. Said girl whips her head towards the sound, and suddenly, her neck stiffens. Her hands fly to clutch her stiffening throat just as she falls to the ground, curling into a ball and wincing.

"Oh my gosh, Tenten, are you okay?" Ino asks while kneeling beside the gates, worry pooling in her eyes.

"Yeah," Tenten says while flexing her jaw. "I really need to stop whipping my head back and forth."

"Well now that that drama bomb is over…" Ino says with the roll of her eyes. "Scoot back. I'm coming for you."

"What are you going to…?"

Ino lifts her arms over her head, causing the metal bars separating her and Tenten to crunch together. She clenches her fists and the metal molds into a ball. "Ino!" Tenten exclaims as the blond throws the hunk to the ground. "You saved me! Thank you!"

"Saved? From what, the peaches?"

"Oh, I know, they're horrible, right?" the girl in the other cell chimes in.

"Terrible," Ino agrees. "Prison food. Oh hey, you want out?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Come on; jail break…" Ino sings.

"Really, it's cool. And great timing, by the way."

"Thanks," Ino turns to the brunette clinging to her stomach. "Come on. We need to find the others."

"Right," Tenten turns to the girl. "Thanks a bunch."

"No problem. Just remember this moment when I'm in a fix."

Tenten grins before following Ino out of the prison room.

"So what did I save you from?"

"Biology class."

…

Naruto rolls over in his bed, a small smile adorning his lips. Something soft tickles his cheek, causing him to giggle childishly and open his eyes. But when he sees Hinata's curtain of hair kissing his cheeks, he backs away, a blush dusting the very spot her hair had touched.

Hinata shifts in bed, mumbling something softly. The boy glances up at her sleeping form and then smiles. "That was some kiss." He whispers. And then he frowns. "Kami, I'm so stupid! She's probably afraid of me, and not in a demon-versus-pretty-princess kind of way. She probably thinks I'm a desperate loser." He bows his head in shame. "Just another person I have to lose."

Kyuubo hops down from his spot beside Hinata and rubs the top of his head against Naruto's cheek. Naruto's smile returns. "You hungry, boy? Well let's get you some milk." As he starts to get up, Kyuubo turns around and squats. Naruto's eyes widen and he freezes in his spot just in time to see the fountain go whoosh.

"KYUUBO!"

Hinata bolts straight up, her breath catching in her throat. She turns her head towards Naruto who's looking down at the pee stained floor with a frown. "Oh gosh," Hinata whispers. "We forgot to get him a litter box." She rises to her feet, standing just before the puddle of pee.

"Oh, Hinata," Naruto says, his eyes flicking to her. "I'm sorry I woke you up." The girl shrugs, and then twists her wrist in a fluent motion. The pee, miraculously, lifts from the floor and is carried to the window where it's dumped out. Naruto watches Hinata with a wide grin. "You're the best!" he says.

Suddenly, there's a shout from outside, to which Naruto and Hinata wince. Naruto hurries to the window and closes it with a sheepish smile. The two share a laugh, and then Naruto sighs. "I was just going to get him some milk. You want something to eat?"

"Oh, sure." Hinata says. "Thank you."

"No problem. Omelet?"

"Do you know how to make one?" Hinata asks skeptically as she makes her way into the kitchen beside Naruto.

"Sure thing! I'm more of a house wife than an avatar." The bridge of his nose turns red at his use of words.

"Well, I think a gentle man is much more…desirable than a strong, mean man." Hinata says timidly.

The two blush, each turning separate ways. Naruto gets out the eggs, milk, butter, mushrooms, and cheese and then sets them on the counter. "So Hinata," he starts. "About last night…" he cracks two eggs into one bowl and then adds milk, salt, and pepper.

"Yes?" Hinata asks slowly, mesmerized by Naruto's whisking.

"Well, I'm not sure about how…you know, you felt about it."

"Oh," Hinata blinks. "Well…I, um…I thought it never happened."

Naruto's eyes widen in realization. "Right! I almost forgot!" he begins to laugh nervously, fumbling around, and then knocks over the bowl of beaten eggs. Hinata acts fast, catching the mixture with her bending as Naruto dives to catch the bowl. They stay like that, as if someone had paused the television.

"But I wish it did happen." Hinata says.

"Me too."

Naruto climbs to his feet and sets the bowl down. Hinata releases the mixture back into the bowl before turning away and heading back to her bed. "Where are you going?" he calls after her.

"Back to bed."

"Why?"

Hinata lifts the covers over her form as she climbs back into the small, twin sized bed. "Because this is just a dream."

"What?"

"It's a dream," she says. "No one's ever liked me before, and no one ever will. So this must be a dream." She closes her eyes and rests her head on top of her pillow. "Good night, Naruto." She whispers.

The boy stands there in bewilderment, watching as the girl's chest rises and falls with each breath. "She really thinks this is a dream?" he whispers. He grunts, turning the blazers on angrily and pouring the mixture onto a buttered pan. "More like a nightmare. Anyone who dreams of me is having a nightmare." And then he flips the omelet onto a plate, cuts it in half for Kyuubo, and stuffs the other half into his mouth.

"Some reality."

**A/N: **Okay, so I didn't wanna do the romance thing this early in the story because I'm always being berated for that, but I needed to because without a hint of romance, I'm lost -_- So I hope it wasn't too bad. What do you think is going on at Headquarters? :D Comment!


	6. Bending and Jailbreak Equals Trouble

Book One~Water

Chapter Six~ Jailbreak and Bending Equals Trouble

**A/N: **Hi guys :) Sorry for the crappy ending in the last chapter, but I didn't want the romance to go fast, you know? Anyway, I realized that we're in Book One still and we have to get through five books -_- So Naruto needs water bending, quick! School will start in, like, four weeks so I'd better prepare for humiliation, like ever year :/ Anyway, comment and enjoy!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masahi Kishimoto does_

Naruto strides down the corridors of the monks' apartment, searching for his room number. In his arms are two brown grocery bags filled to the top with instant ramen, cat treats, and cinnamon pastries. Finally, he finds his apartment and opens the door, surprised to find Hinata not only awake, but sitting on the floor in the lotus position, eyes closed.

The boy tip toes into the kitchen, sets down the bags, and turns to watch her. "Hi, Naruto," Hinata says without batting an eyelash. "How was your trip?"

"Um, fine," Naruto says awkwardly. "How'd you know I came in?"

"When you meditate, your senses are enhanced." She opens one eye to look at him. "That's one of the perks of being a monk, no?"

"I guess…" he turns back around to empty the contents of the bags on the counter.

"Wait," Hinata rises to her feet, her nose flexing. "Is that…cinnamon buns?"

"Yeah," Naruto turns back around, a box of pastries in his hand. "How'd you know?"

"Enhanced." She says with a smile as she taps her nose. The girl waltzes into the kitchen, grabs a wet towel, and pats her forehead with it.

"You were meditating, not doing an intense cardio workout." Naruto says with a chuckle as he eyes with girl oddly.

She shrugs. "I'm just preparing for today's lesson."

"Lesson?" Naruto repeats, his eyes following her into the open bathroom where she pulls her hair into a classy pony tail.

"Yes, avatar, water bending?"

"Avatar?" Naruto shakes his head while setting down the box of cinnamon buns. "Hinata, what's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, my name is _Naruto_, not avatar, and you don't have to be so uptight around me." His eyes fall to his bare feet. "Unless…unless the kiss is what scared you away."

Hinata stiffens. Her eyes meet Naruto's through the mirror, and the broken look in his pools of cerulean make her crack. "Okay, fine," she says in defeat. "I didn't forget about it and I know the kiss wasn't a dream."

"No shit."

"Watch the language, mister."

Naruto rolls his eyes.

"Hinata, how could you just blow it off like that?" he asks. "Seriously! Do you see me blowing it off as if your lips didn't feel like an angel's caressing mine?" Hinata's eyes widen and she drops her brush to the floor. Naruto's cheeks darken, and he averts his gaze to the box of cinnamon rolls on the counter. He picks them up and shifts the box between his hands. "I mean…It's not like I was…" he sighs.

"You think…my lips are like an angel's?" Hinata inquires softly, her cheeks reddening with each syllable.

"Well, I've never met an angel before so…"

"I have…" Naruto whips his head up to stare her in the eyes. "I mean, I think I have."

"Really? Where?"

"In Earth Kingdom…" Hinata says unsurely.

"Really? What did she look like?"

"Um, _he_, had blond hair and blue eyes… and I think he may have been a neko angel because he had whiskers." She smiles up at him.

"A cat angel?" Naruto mumbles under his breath, deep in thought.

"No, Naruto," Hinata giggles, making her way toward the nonplussed blond. She clasps her hands in front of her middle while staring down at the floor. "The neko angel is you."

"Me?" Naruto exclaims, causing Hinata to giggle again. Naruto grins. "Wow, Hinata, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Well, you said my lips felt like an angel's." she shrugs.

"Because they do." He whispers.

"Yeah? So which angel have you kissed?" Hinata counters, staring up into his eyes.

"The one I'm going to kiss right now."

Hinata blinks, her eyelashes batting for only a second, when Naruto leans down and plants his lips against hers. She keeps them closed though, and only peeks once to glance at Naruto's graceful face.

…

"This is going to be hard." Tenten whispers as she and Ino duck behind a metal cart filled to the top with trays of prison food. She plugs her nose. "Especially when I'm feeling nauseous."

"Be quiet! I need to focus." Ino scolds.

"Sorry."

The blond closes her eyes while lifting her hands into an odd position. "Catch me," she whispers. Tenten's brows furrow as she opens her mouth to question Ino's words, but the blond falls limply into her arms, and so she squats there with a quite heavy, despite her looks, girl in her arms.

Tenten's eyes flick to the guard who is now making his way towards the two girls. "Oh no! Ino, wake up!" she shakes the girl in her arms, but to no avail.

"Miss. Tenten," she guard says. Said girl peers up at the man, and then lets out a breath when she realizes it's really Ino.

"How'd you do that?" Tenten inquires in awe.

"No biggie; it's just my thing. Now come on and hop into this laundry cart."

Tenten studies the cart, sticks her head into it, and nearly gags. "Oh no," she says with the shake of her head. "I am so not getting in there."

"Come on, I'll be in there with you." Ino persuades.

"No way! You'll be out here pushing the cart."

"But my body will be in there."

Tenten pulls a dirtied shirt from the pile, her eyes widening. "Is this blood?" she squeaks. Ino rolls her eyes while pushing the brunette into the cart. Tenten squeaks as she lands face first into the pile of laundry. Ino then picks up her own limp body and places it onto Tenten's lap.

"Come on. I have the keys." She lifts a keychain into the air and twirls it around her index finger.

"Nice moves," Tenten says sarcastically. "Now come on, before I pass out too."

Ino sighs and places the keys back into her pocket. And then she closes the top to the laundry bin, leaving a bit of a crack for air, and rolls it down the hallway. "Man, you're heavy." She mutters. Tenten kicks at Ino's thigh through the cloth of the cart, causing Ino to ram it into the wall "accidentally." The blond smirks as Tenten whimpers weakly.

"Careful," she whispers. "You don't even know what they shoved up me."

Ino gags into her mouth.

"Gross out."

…

A blond woman with a large chest sits in her office, her glossy lips curved into a smile. She twists a strand of hair around one finger, the other rubbing circles around the swell of her left breast. "It feels good to be a woman." She says.

"Don't get too comfortable." Someone says from behind her. She frowns.

"Thanks for ruining my moment."

"You've had enough moments. Now come on, it's almost time."

"Right." she says. "Take me to the kingdom's morgue."

…

"This is going to be so much fun!" Naruto says as he and Hinata make their way down the streets of Air Kingdom.

"Not so fast, blondie, this is about training, not fun."

"Yeah, but I haven't been to the community swimming pool since I was five." Naruto shrugs. "I miss it."

"Well, I'd rather practice somewhere more private," Hinata mumbles, her cheeks reddening. "I don't like being in the water in public."

"But you're a water bender!" Naruto argues. "You're supposed to like being in the water."

"I do. Just…not in my bathing suit."

"You call that a bathing suit?" Naruto says while motioning to Hinata's water proof, light blue tube top and bandaged leggings. She blushes, glancing down at herself.

"It isn't too revealing, is it?" she asks hesitantly.

"No way! If anything, it's not revealing enough." Hinata's eyes widen, and Naruto's cheeks turn a shade brighter than hers. "Not that I'm a perv or anything."

They reach the community pool and stop at the entrance. Hinata peers at the _rules and regulations _sign and begins to read it out loud. "No splashing, diving, cannon balls, kicking, eating, drinking, screaming or _bending_." She shoots Naruto a glare, to which he shrugs.

"Come on," she says while grabbing his wrist and pulling him away. "We'll go down to the river."

"But the river's so hot!" Naruto whines.

"It can't be too bad."

…

"Eaaahh!" Hinata squeals. "This is _hot_."

"Isn't that what I said?" Naruto says with crossed arms.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think it would feel like a hot springs!" she reaches up to let down her hair, slipping the hair tie onto her wrist and letting her bluish black hair fall like a curtain over her shoulders. "Oh well. This is much better." She glances back at Naruto over her shoulder. "Hot water helps with stretching."

"Yeah, of course." Naruto says dreamily as he watches the girl bend over and touch her toes. She lets out a long breathe, and then reaches up.

"Come on, Naruto. Take off those sweats and get in here!" Hinata calls.

"Huh? Oh, my sweats!" Naruto leans down and pulls his sweats to the floor, leaving him in his green froggy boxers. Hinata lets out a small giggle. "Hey!"

"Sorry." She bites down on her lip. "Okay, okay. First, let's start with Swadhisthana, the sacral, or water chakra. Do you know what the sacral chakra is for?"

"Um…sex, right?" Naruto says dumbly.

Hinata's cheeks flare. "Um, well, sort of." She stutters. "It's located in your...your no-no area, and it is related to sexual hormones, creativity, and desires. The color associated with the sacral chakra is orange, and its two symbols are the moon and the crocodile."

"Cool."

The two raise their arms over their heads and then bow down to the water and scoop it up into their palms.

"Do you know why the sacral chakra is associated with water?" Hinata inquires.

"Because water flows…like pee does?"

Hinata sweat drops.

"No, it's because the chakra guides us toward what brings pleasure to our lives, just how water guides us to many things, pulls and attracts us."

"Right, that makes sense." Naruto says, his head bobbing up in down in agreement. His eyes are just slits, his lips screwed into a pout.

Hinata peeks a glimpse at him and smiles. Then she brings to water over her head and lets out a long breath through her nose before letting the water trickle down her chest. She nods at Naruto to do the same, but the boy is too busy watching the droplets roll down the girl's chest. Hinata blushes, kicking water into the boy's face and waking him from his trance.

He blushes in embarrassment and repeats her actions.

"Okay, now to open up your sacral chakra. Take a seat in the water." The two take their seats in lotus position, and then Hinata continues. "Now place your hands on your lap, palms up, on top of each other." The two do so. "Alright, now concentrate on the sacral chakra, or in other words, concentrate on your desires, and then chant with me."

Naruto closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets his thoughts roam to Hinata and him back in the apartment. Hinata begins to chant, and so Naruto follows suit. "Vammmm…"

After about seven minutes of doing so, and both Naruto and Hinata's cheeks are flushed red all the way to the bone with their naughty thoughts, Hinata closes her mouth and smiles. The two open their eyes and stare at each other. "You're ready." She says.

Naruto grins and rises to his feet. "So now what do I do?" he asks.

"Now we practice," Hinata answers. "Do as I do."

The girl places her hands in front of her, palms down, and then twists her wrist so that the palms are facing up. She repeats the motion several times, letting the water build up a foot high, and then she raises her arms over her head and the water rises with her, growing ten feet in height. Naruto watches in awe, wide eyed.

"Now your turn. Just practice the motions I showed you." Hinata says, and lets the water fall back to the river.

He nods and begins the motions. The water begins to ripple, bubbles fizzing and popping at the surface. Hinata twists her lips to the side in thought as the boy begins to raise his arms over his head. A large sphere of bubbling, sizzling water floats into the air, staring the two teens down. Hinata's eyes widen. "Naruto, put it down!" she shouts.

He does as he's instructed, and the sphere of boiling water plummets back into the water, spraying the two with scorching water. Steam rises in the air as the two stand there, clothes soaking wet and hair matted to their faces.

"Naruto," Hinata says while swiping the water out of her eyes. "I've never seen anything like that before. What did you do?"

He shrugs. "Maybe my thoughts were too steamy?" he suggests with a grin. Hinata blushes.

"Oh, be quiet. It wasn't that."

Naruto's eyes fall back to the river as a saddening thought hits him.

_I know what it is…_

He glances at the pondering girl and presses his lips together.

_Should I tell her? She wouldn't think I'm an angel anymore… Instead, she'd think I'm a demon._

Naruto frowns.

"Come on," Hinata says. "That was a really good first try," she smiles. "Let's get some ramen." Naruto nods, grabbing his sweats and following her through the forest back to the village.

…

"Alright boys," a man says while entering the room that Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke are being held in. "Time to un change. Drop the clothes and give me three."

All three boys' eyes widen, and Sasuke shouts, "What the hell!? I'm not some gay-ass-"

The guard lets out a chuckle, causing Sasuke to stop, his eye twitching. "Calm down," the man says. "It's Ino."

"I knew it," Sasuke says. "What a whore."

"Hey! Shut the hell up!" Ino shouts.

"Ino, quiet down, someone might hear." Tenten says form inside the cart.

"Was that…Tenten?" Neji inquires.

"Oh, yeah, I saved her sorry butt from… biology class…? Is that what you said, Tenten?" Ino leans down beside the cart, pressing her ear against the cloth with a smirk. Tenten punches her in the jaw through the cloth, jerking Ino back into a shelf filled to the top with scary utensils.

"Ouch," she mutters.

"What's going on in here?" someone calls from outside the door. All four of their eyes widen, and Tenten shrinks farther into the hamper, piling clothes over her and Ino and holding her breath for as long as possible.

The three boys close their eyes, pretending to be unconscious, as Ino composes herself. A guard dressed in the same attire enters the room with an angry face. But when he sees Ino, his expression softens and he chuckles. "What are you doing in here, Shizuku?"

"Oh, um…" Ino's eyes dart around the room nervously. "I was getting the dirty laundry."

The man lets out a bellyaching laugh, wipes a tear from his eye. "Very funny," he says breathily. "But you know that's Ayumi's job. Come on, we need to start on the dissection of that one girl."

Ino lets out a shaky breathy. "Yeah, sure, could you just give me a minute? I lost my…contact."

The man furrows his brows. "I thought you got rid of those stupid things…?"

"I did but then someone, um, said I looked like a total nube with my glasses on." Shikamaru, Neji, and Sasuke inwardly roll their eyes, Tenten sweat dropping from her place in the hamper.

"Aw, come on, you're getting soft on me," The man says with a smirk. "You're really gonna let that get to you?" Ino shrugs while kneeling on the floor, searching aimlessly for her invisible contact. "Kay, well meet me in five. We've got to do this before the boss gets mad."

"The boss?" Ino repeats.

"Yeah…?"

"You mean Tsunade-sama?"

The man shakes his head. "Man, did you lose your memory with that contact or what? Don't you remember?"

Ino laughs nervously. "I was just pulling your leg." She says jokingly.

"Right…I'll catch you." The man says, and then exits.

"Way to go, Ino." Tenten says through the mountain of clothes piled on top of her.

"Can it, panda," Ino says. "We need to get these three out of here, and quick."

"Panda?"

"Nickname." Ino says nonchalantly.

"You guys know that he was talking about me, right?" Tenten says.

"What, the dissection, you mean"?" Shikamaru asks.

"Yeah, they think I was mutated differently."

"Well all the more reason to get out of here. And we only have five minutes!" Ino says.

"Wait, where are we going to go after we escape? We'll have to flee." Sasuke says.

"Not necessarily." Shikamaru says.

"Huh?"

Ino lifts her hands to begin bending the metal cuffs around their wrists, but Neji stops her. "It's plastic," he says. "You'll have to get us out another way."

"Oh great." She says.

"No time for whining," Tenten says while climbing out of the hamper. "Grab those…" she swallows. "…Knife thingies from the top shelf. We can cut the plastic."

Ino nods and bends the metal utensils down to her and Tenten's level. The two grab the knives and begin to cut through the plastic. "So, explain why we won't have to flee." Ino says.

"Yeah, because avoiding another flee spree would be a goal I'd like to reach." Sasuke adds.

"You guys heard that man, right?" Shikamaru says. "I don't think their boss is Tsunade."

"But she's the one who threw us in here." Tenten protests.

"Right," Ino adds. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Tsunade was a fake."

The two girls gasp.

"Their boss must be disguised as the Hokage." Shikamaru continues.

"Do you think they're planning on overthrowing Air Kingdom?" Ino asks.

"Possibly…or maybe it's something else."

"Do you think they're fire benders?" Tenten inquires. Ino, Shikamaru, and Sasuke shoot her a glare, to which she shrugs. "Hello, enemies of Air Kingdom!"

"Yeah, but why would fire benders throw us in jail?" Ino asks. "We're of Fire Nation!"

"Yeah, and you guys are on the run." Neji points out.

"Good point." Sasuke says.

Tenten and Ino finish up on Shikamaru and Neji and move onto Sasuke, each taking one wrist. Shikamaru and Neji rise to their feet, Shikamaru moving to the cart to grab Ino's body and Neji moving to Tenten's side. When Sasuke is freed, the five make their way to the door.

"Wait," Shikamaru says. "What if we're caught?"

"I'll go first," Ino says. "And when the coast is clear, you guys head for the exit."

"The exit will be guarded." Sasuke says.

"Then through the air vents." Tenten suggests. The four give her an unsure look. "I saw it on a movie. We should be able to fit through." Suddenly, an alarm sounds and everyone freezes. "They must have found my cell empty!"

"Okay, the air vents, it is," Shikamaru says. "Ino, bend the lid off so we can climb in." Ino nods and throws the metal sheet blocking the group of teens from the air vents into the corner of the room. "Now Tenten bend us an air chair, or whatever you can do to float us to the top."

Tenten begins to bend a sphere of air and then motions for Shikamaru to hop on. He does so, Ino cradled in his arms, and Tenten lifts him into the vent. He climbs through, gives them a heads up, and disappears. Tenten brings to sphere back down where Sasuke takes a seat and climbs into the vent. Neji is next, and then Tenten. When Ino is the only one left, Shikamaru says, "Now follow the other guards and switch back to your own body!"

Ino nods and dashes out of the room into the hallway where the other guards are making a commotion. When no one seems to notice her presence, she switches bodies, leaving the guard to fall limply on the floor, clutching his head in confusion. She wakes up in Shikamaru's arms where she's greeted by a kiss.

…

"They've escaped, sir." A guard says as he enters the Hokage's office. Tsunade frowns.

"How is that possible? They must have had help."

"Oh, you mean this help?" the man says while thrusting a teenage girl in front of him. She stumbles to the floor, knocking her glasses off. The girl grabs her glasses and places them on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes meet Tsunade's narrowed ones. Her glasses shine in the light.

"Oh, Karin," Tsunade sings sickly. "I should have known better than to place a traitor beside my prized _froggy_."

"I can't believe you'd actually dissect a human." Karin says, disgusted.

Tsunade smirks.

"Well believe it and believe this: Kazu," she turns to the guard. "Take her to the memory lab and erase her memory." Her eyes flick to Karin's. Her smirk grows at the sight of the girl's terrified face. "You'll be back on the squad soon enough." She says, and then the guard takes her away.

"And then we'll get rid of those brats."

**A/N: **Okay, so how did you like that? I personally think that was the best chapter, so please comment :D


	7. Busts and Tests

Book One~ Water

Chapter Seven~ Busts and Tests

**A/N: **That title can have double meanings XD But anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I know it's a little confusing, but aren't all things until the secrets are out? Then it's all like, "Oooh," and "Ahhhhhh." Haha, but anyway, please enjoy this story because that's what I aim for, and comment! 

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"Quit jabbing me in the back!"

"Could you move faster, or are you incapable?"

"Ouch, hey, my head still hurts!"

"I can't breathe!"

"Okay, who farted?"

Shikamaru comes to a halt and turns to face the quarreling teens behind him. "Would you all cut it out?" he whispers. "Air vents carry voices, and they enhance them into more of echoes. For all we know, the whole building staff could be listening."

"Shikamaru's right," Tenten says with a sigh. "But I'm claustrophobic and someone _really_ needs some beano." She plugs her nose while shooting Sasuke a glare.

"It wasn't me," he says. "So quit staring!"

"Wait," Shikamaru cuts in while sniffing the air. "That isn't gas."

"It's not?"

"No, that's anesthesia! Everyone plug your noses and try not to breathe."

"But I thought anesthesia didn't have a smell." Ino says.

"It's like tofu," Neji explains. "It adapts to any smell you want to give it."

"So they purposely mixed the rotten egg smell with the medicine?" Tenten asks.

"Yes, to confuse us."

"Which means they know we're in here," Shikamaru says. "They'll probably be waiting at every exit for us."

"What do we do?" Ino says frantically.

"Tenten," Sasuke says. "Make an air bubble around us."

"But the medicine has already polluted the air!"

"Then we need to get out of here, and fast." Shikamaru says.

"Shika, how did you know it was anesthesia if it smelled like rotten eggs?" Ino inquires.

"I know my way around medicines, and normally anesthesia creates a mist in the air. See the film on the sides of the vent and the particles floating in the air?"

"Oh."

"What are we going to do? I'm getting tired here." Tenten says.

"You said they'd be guarding all of the exits, right?" Neji says. "Then maybe we can create our own exit."

"That's brilliant," Shikamaru exclaims. "Ino, I need you to create a hole through this vent."

"But what if there are guards underneath us?"

"I'll check." Neji says. And then he closes his eyes and chants, "Byakugan!" The veins in his temples and cheeks begin to bulge and his irises shift slightly. "Ino, five paces forward and there's a wall. Outside is a garden of poisonous plants."

"And no one is guarding it?" Ino asks.

"No."

"What about the poisonous plants?" Tenten adds. "Will they kill us on contact?"

"Most likely," Neji says, to which everyone sweat drops. "Tenten, you'll follow Ino. Once she's gotten through the wall, you'll create an air disk for us all to sit on."

"I don't think everyone can sit on it at once. Air isn't exactly the strongest thing in the world."

"Then we'll do it by twos. Ino and Shikamaru will go first, then Sasuke, and then us two." Neji says.

"Great plan," Shikamaru commends. "But how will Ino break through the wall? She's a metal bender and these walls are made of concrete." He raps on the metal of the vent with his knuckles.

"I'll melt it." Sasuke says.

"Is that the answer to all of your problems?" Neji asks with a sigh.

"Alright, we need to do this now." Shikamaru says. "Ino, do your thing."

She nods while twisting her wrists back and forth and clenching her fists. The metal begins to crunch and screw into odd, wrinkly patterns until finally, it falls to the ground. Someone yelps in surprise as it lands right on their head, knocking them out. Ino peers over the edge and her eyes widen. "I just knocked out a guard." She says worriedly.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Sasuke inquires.

"No, it means they know where we are and where we're headed," Shikamaru answers. "So Sasuke, melt that wall and melt it now."

Sasuke crawls over Shikamaru and Ino and then braces himself, taking a deep breath through his nose. And then he opens his mouth and it's almost as if he were a fire-breathing dragon. The flames lick the walls like candy until there's nothing left and the five teens can see sunshine and blue skies.

Sasuke looks down. "That's a long drop." He says.

"Then don't fall." Shikamaru ushers Tenten to the front of the line so she can bend an air discus, but just as she begins to, three guards plant themselves beneath the five, standing bravely in the poisonous vegetation with long pants. "Do it now, Tenten!"

The brunette finishes the discus and lets Ino and Shikamaru climb on. "All aboard." She says sleepily.

"Tenten," Neji says while shaking her shoulders. "Stay awake!"

"I am!" she grumbles, her eyes closing.

"What are we going to do?" Ino asks nervously. She glances down at the guards beneath them which have now tripled in size. "Call me crazy, but I think we have a problem."

"The discus is dissipating!" Shikamaru shouts. "Tenten, wake up!"

Sasuke turns to Neji with a pointed look. "I think you know what you have to do." He says.

Neji gives him a look of confusion. "Are you mad? There's nothing I can do!"

"Really? How did that one story go…? Sleeping Beauty, I think it was… It ended with a…kiss?" he quirks an eyebrow at Neji.

The boy grumbles in detest but at the look of panic on Ino's face, he bends down and plants a kiss to Tenten's lips. The brunette opens her eyes, a smile gracing her rosy lips. "Neji," she murmurs before closing her eyes again.

"No, stay awake!" he shouts.

The guards below are laughing to themselves at the sad scene, to which Neji narrows his gaze. He bends over the edge of the vent and begins to mold the dirt beneath their feet. The men glance down as dirt spews up in their faces, ants and worms crawling along their cheeks and lips. They shout in surprise, flailing their arms around frantically.

Neji then bends the earth to create a wall between the men and where Ino and Shikamaru are hanging in the air by a thread. Then he rips the poisons plants out of the earth and throws them over the wall onto the men's heads just as the disk disappears and Ino and Shikamaru crash to the ground on a soft pile of dirt.

"Ewwwww," Ino squeals.

"Great thinking," Shikamaru calls from his spot in the dirt. "We'll just have to run out of here. Grab Tenten and get down here."

Sasuke hops down as Neji hauls Tenten over his shoulder and meets the rest of them on the ground. And then the five begin the long run to the gates leading to their freedom.

…

Naruto slurps up the rest of his broth and slams the bowl down on the counter with a satisfied lip-smack. "Another bowl, please!" he shouts to Teuchi.

"Another, Naruto?" Hinata says with a giggle. "I've never seen anyone eat that much!"

"Yeah, well, I sort of had this rivalry thing with this guy back when I was a kid. We'd challenge each other all the time." he shrugs. "Plus I really love ramen."

"I can see that." Hinata brings her chopsticks to her lips and begins on the long stretch of noodles.

"I wonder where that guy went." Naruto mutters as he lifts his head to the shining lights overhead.

"What, you mean Choji?" Teuchi asks as he sets down Naruto's seventh bowl.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouts. "You remember him! Does he still come here?"

"Oh yeah," the man says with a chuckle. "He comes all the time. I mean, when he isn't on one of his trips, that is."

"Trips?"

"More like competitions. He's a world class food competitionist. He travels around the world to compete in competitions. His record for onigiri is fifty seven in four minutes."

"Wow," Hinata says. "That's a lot of onigiri."

"Yup," the man taps his thumb nail against a framed picture hanging on the wall. "That's him, Choji Akimichi."

"Yeah… Choji," Naruto murmurs in awe as he stares at the picture of Choji smacking his barbeque-glossed lips at a pork competition. He has a first place ribbon pinned to his shirt and a trophy of a pig stands tall in the background. "Just how I remember him, only bigger. Much, much bigger." Naruto chuckles.

"Well he still lives here," Teuchi says. "You should go visit him. Although he may be at a competition."

"I'll risk it," Naruto says while rising to his feet. "Come on, Hinata, let's go say hi."

"But Naruto, you haven't finished your ramen." She argues.

The boy takes the bowl in his hands and downs the entire thing, toppings and all, in one large gulp. Hinata and Teuchi stares at him, wide eyed. "Maybe we ought to have a ramen competition here." Teuchi says jokingly.

"That's a great idea!" Naruto shouts. "The perfect occasion for Choji and my reunion. I'd better go tell him!" Hinata shakes her head, her lips curved into a smile. She downs her broth and thanks Teuchi for the service before following Naruto out of the shop and down the street. "So maybe we should head by the store to buy more blankets before we head over." Naruto suggests.

"That's a good idea," Hinata says. "Because I think Kyuubo could use his own blanket, and he has had his eye on your old blankie." Naruto and Hinata share a laugh, but an unexpected visitor interrupts them.

"Ino?" they say simultaneously.

"Guys, you need to come quick," she wheezes as she bends over to catch a breath. "We broke out…Tsunade…She's an imposter."

"I knew it!" Hinata exclaims.

"Wait, you mean that wasn't Tsunade earlier?" Naruto inquires.

Ino shakes her head just as Naruto heaves her over his shoulder and starts running in the direction she'd come from, Hinata following suit. The ground is trembling, caving in as Hinata and Naruto dash towards Shikamaru and the others. There are seven men surrounding the four of them, each using jutsu and bending unknown by any.

"Dammit, what's going on?!" Naruto shouts.

At the sound of his voice, Shikamaru and Tenten, who'd finally woken up, glance back at the angry blond carrying another blond. "Ino!" Shikamaru shouts as Naruto appears before him. He throws the girl into Shikamaru's arms and then rushes to Sasuke.

"What's happening?"

"These guys work with whoever's been posing as Tsunade," Sasuke explains while giving Naruto a slight glare. ""They tried to dissect Tenten, and I bet they were planning on doing the same to the rest of us."

"Alright," Naruto says gruffly. "Then I just have one question for you guys!" the men across from the teens smirk slightly. "Where'd you put Tsunade!?" And without another thought, Naruto rips the ground from beneath them and flaps it like a dusty rug. The men fly into the air, shouts filling the air, and fall into the abyss Naruto's created.

"I'll ask once more!" he shouts into the hole. The men glare up at him.

"Can it, brat! We don't know where your mommy is." One of them shouts back.

Naruto grits his teeth. "Then here's another question! Who are you working for?" he begins to push the two sides of the hole together so that the walls begin caving in on the men.

"Hah, bend all you want but you'll never break us!"

"Literally!"

"What does that even mean?" Tenten shouts from beside Naruto.

"It means they aren't alive," someone says from the other side of the hole. The group turns to the woman standing before them. Her glasses shine in the light as she adjusts them on her nose.

"Who are you?" Naruto growls.

"I know that voice," Tenten says. "She's the one who helped me break out of my cell!"

"That's right," she says with a smile. "The name's Karin." Sasuke freezes, his body going rigid. Karin smiles at him. "Hi Sasuke," she calls with a wave. "I missed you."

"You know her?" Naruto asks. But Sasuke doesn't answer, _can't_ answer. Naruto turns back to the redhead.

"Okay, Karin, how do you know so much about these bozos?" Neji asks.

"Because I'm one of them!"

She lifts her arms high in the air and before they know it, shiny purple flakes are raining down on them. "What is this stuff?" Hinata screeches.

"They're serpent scales." Karin shouts proudly. "And when they stick to your skin, they grow into poisonous snakes."

"They WHAT?!" Tenten shouts.

Naruto curses under his breath while bending a roof over the group of teens, but to no avail. The scales are already sticking to their skin. "We'll just wash them off!" Hinata suggests.

"It's no use," Sasuke says. "These aren't things you simply wash off. There's only one way to get rid of them."

"How's that?" Neji asks.

"These things drink your chakra and replace it with venom. The only way to stop them is to take Karin's chakra."

"How?" Shikamaru inquires.

"Watch me."

Sasuke sprints to Karin's side, and in a flash, he's on his knee beside her. She blushes down at him, a small smile gracing her lips. "Oh, Sasuke, I-ohhahhh!" The boy bites down on her arm, shocking everyone. Karin shifts in her spot, her teeth biting down lustfully on her lip. "Sasuke, stop, you know what that does to me."

"Um, eww," Ino says while crawling out of Shikamaru's arms. "What the hell is with her?"

"I'm so not biting her arm!" Tenten says. She glances down at her own arm and her eyes widen when she sees tiny worm-like creatures wiggling around. "Fuck this shit! Sasuke, move over!" The group follows Tenten to the other side of the hole where Sasuke is taking in his share on Karin's chakra. Each of them kneels beside the girl and bite down, causing her to scream in pain.

Sasuke retracts to look up at the girl who's closing her eyes in pain. The leech-like serpents have now fallen off of his arms, shriveling in the dirt. "How?" Sasuke asks. "How are you here?" Karin opens one eye to look at him, and then shudders. Her knees give out and she falls to the ground in a heap. Everyone steps back and watches as the serpents fall off of their skin.

"Thank goodness," Ino breathes in relief.

Karin takes ragged breaths, her cheeks reddening with each second. "She's lost too much chakra," Sasuke states, and then brings the girl's head into his lap. She stares up at his cold face and frowns. "How are you here, Karin? You died years ago." He says coldly.

"If it's a story you want then it's a story you'll get." She says. "So the rest of you know, Sasuke and I were good friends when we were kids."

"We weren't _good_ friends," Sasuke mumbles.

"Anyway, we had a club called Club Taka. It consisted of Sasuke, me, and two other friends of ours. We had our own hideout and everything. Well, one day, I went out with the other two because Sasuke was home sick. We were heading down to our fort when we saw it had been taken over by snakes. Sasuke always loved snakes, so we decided not to kill them. Big mistake. They came at us, drinking up our chakra and using it to grow in size. A man saved us, though, by taking the snakes and bagging them up. But he didn't bother to revive us, or even take us to a hospital. We died there."

"So then how are you alive?" Sasuke asks impatiently.

"Calm down, will you? Anyway, it was a year and a half ago when I woke from a deep sleep. I was in the morgue and that same man who'd bagged the snakes the day I had died was standing over me. He told me he'd brought me back to life and that I was now his minion. My bending, which was fire, had been taken from me. He gave me different skills instead, like the serpent-scale rain jutsu.

"He changed my appearance to look like a teenager so I could have a better chance at fighting Sasuke." She turns to him. "You were his next victim. But then he heard about the avatar and figured that taking him out first would be smarter. So he sent me to take you guys out. I, though, was too angry with him for not saving me the day I died, so I betrayed him and he threw me into jail, where I met her." She motions with her head to Tenten.

"So he brought you back to life?" Naruto inquires in awe.

"Yes."

"Why are you here then, if you betrayed him?" Sasuke asks.

"He sent me to the lab to have my memory erased, but because I'd overheard those two speaking of how to keep certain memories from them, I was able to keep them from getting to the most important memories I had."

Sasuke lets out a breath.

"The others are here, too, Sasuke." Karin whispers. "Jugo and Suigetsu." Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Wait, Suigetsu?" Naruto repeats. He and Hinata share a look.

"Yeah, what about him?" Karin asks.

"We met him. He told me to say hi to Sasuke." Naruto says quietly. Sasuke stares daggers at the blond. "What? I was just relaying the message!" Naruto shouts at Sasuke's glower.

"Hn,"

"Well, story time is over," Karin says while hopping to her feet. Sasuke jerks back in surprise just as she begins the hand signs for a new jutsu.

"Everyone move out; she's dangerous!" Sasuke shouts.

"No shit!" Tenten yells back. Neji grabs her hand and starts in the other direction when he realizes he can't move his feet. Karin laughs manically from behind, her hands planted on her hips.

"What are you doing?" Naruto yells to the girl. "I thought you hated that man! So why are you still working for him?"

"Because, I can die at any moment," Karin answers. "He controls my heart."

"He…what?" Naruto's whole body is trembling with anger, and Hinata does her best to keep him from crashing, but to no avail. "He WHAT?!"

"Yes…" Karin says faintly, fear seizing her mind. "After he raises them from the dead, he takes out their heart. He can burn it or squish it or whatever, which is the only way we can die." Naruto's eyes widen. "We're…his servants."

"So you mean…right now, there's no heart inside your chest?" Ino asks shakily.

"Correct,"

"Then why would you betray him in the first place if he has your heart?" Sasuke asks as he tries to shake off the goo that's now hardening like concrete, and fixing Sasuke in that spot.

"He never told me about the heart," Karin says. "He didn't tell anyone. Not until they betray him will he give the message. It's how he finds out whether we're loyal or not because if we knew about the heart from the start, we'd all be loyal to him."

"Um, guys, I wouldn't want to interrupt or anything, but I'm pretty sure our feet are plastered to the ground." Tenten interrupts.

"What is this stuff?" Hinata says in horror as she struggles to remove herself from the spot she's standing in.

"Whatever it is, it's so not good for our skin!" Ino exclaims as she looks down in a mixture of disgust and dismay at her now purple legs.

"It's a special snake venom," Karin says. "It'll glue you to the spot you're standing in and at the same time, poison you from the outside in, turning your skin purple. But the venom won't kill you, only make you weak and sick. _This_ is what's going to kill you."

She weaves the signs for a summoning jutsu and "poof," a snake appears.

"Gahh! Someone get me out of this!" Tenten screeches.

"I think I can." Naruto says. He begins to bend the earth beneath him and Hinata, and just like that, the two are floating in the air, standing on small chunks of earth, the venom still plastered to their ankles, prohibiting them from movement.

The earth beneath the plaster begins to crumble, landing on Ino's titled face. She closes her eyes as a large chunk of dirt cakes her skin. "Naruto," she growls.

"Woops," he says with a small laugh.

"Just get us out of here, dobe!" Sasuke shouts as the snake nears him.

"I'd have liked to keep you alive, Sasuke," Karin says sadly. The boy turns to her with wide eyes. "But you weren't there for me when I needed you. So now it's your time to feel betrayal."

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouts again as the snake charges at him. The blond bends the earth beneath Sasuke's feet and lifts him into the air, but not high enough because the snake rams its head right into Sasuke, flinging the boy several yards away.

Naruto winces. "Hinata, is there any way you can bend this stuff off of us?" he asks.

"Bend plaster? No way, it's already a solid."

"But it was once a liquid. You can bend ice, can't you?"

Hinata chews on her bottom lip. "I guess I could try." She murmurs, and then begins to water bend on the chalky plaster. Naruto turns back to the task at hand and begins to bend Ino and Shikamaru out of their places. The two rise into the air, but as soon as Naruto releases the jutsu to work on Neji and Tenten, the two fall back onto the ground with a thump.

"Naruto!" Ino screeches.

"Why's it always my fault?!" he shouts back.

"Forget them! Save us!" Tenten interrupts frantically. Naruto turns back to the two still stuck to the ground and bends them out.

"So how do we escape? We can't move." Neji says as he struggles to move his feet.

"Yeah, and I'm feeling a bit woozy." Tenten adds.

"How's that coming along, Hinata?" Naruto asks worriedly.

"Not so good," she says. "I'm afraid I can't bend us out of this."

"So what do we do, then?" Ino shouts up to the blond.

"We get Sasuke," Naruto says. "Hinata, stay with these four. I'll be right back." The girl nods, watching as he bends himself through the air and towards Sasuke. Hinata, on the other hand, falls to the ground and lands right in Neji's lap. She laughs nervously.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yells. "Where are-oh."

He lands beside the injured boy. "Sasuke! Are you okay? I didn't mean to-"

"You," Sasuke growls while gripping Naruto's shirt in his fist.

"Woah, calm down, tiger. I didn't mean to." Naruto says nervously. Sasuke releases his shirt with a huff. "Could you melt the plaster away? Please?" Naruto begs.

"Melt? Why didn't I think of that?" Sasuke mutters to himself. And then he begins to melt the plaster off of his skin. Once it's a gooey heap at his toes, he melts off Naruto's cast, the blond giggling and squirming the entire time. "Okay, let's go." he says.

The two sprint towards the others who are fending off the snake with all they've got. Hinata and Neji are bending waves of water into his face as Tenten bends the wind to make the water more extreme. Shikamaru lies uselessly on the ground, his eyes closed as he ponders something, and Ino is beside him, worrying her lip to shreds.

"We're here!" Naruto calls. Hinata turns to look at him, a smile gracing her lips. "Sasuke, start on Hinata."

The boy shoots him a glare but complies, nonetheless. Neji and Tenten are still going at it, so Naruto decides to step in and help. He bends the earth beneath the snake until its floating in the air. Then he instructs Neji to bend some water into the hole he's created in the ground.

Once there's enough water in the hole, Naruto sends the snake plummeting into it. "Hah!" he shouts. "Snakes can't swim!"

"Actually, dobe, some snakes can. And that happens to be one of them." Sasuke says with the roll of his eyes. Suddenly, a large wave rises into the air, towering over the five teens.

"Uh-oh…"

Naruto dashes to Hinata's side and cradles her in his arms just as the water crashes over them. Ino and Shikamaru are clinging to the ground for dear life as Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata are washed up in the tide. Neji and Tenten bend the water around them so that not even a drop touches them.

"Right now I wish we were still plastered to the ground," Ino mumbles as the water dies down. "What do we do? Sasuke's gone and we're still stuck in these hideous boots!" Shikamaru sputters, water spraying from his mouth as he rolls his eyes.

"I think I can stop the thing." He says. "I'll put him in shadow possession and then you take over his mind."

"Great plan!" Ino exclaims. "Then what?"

"…"

Ino rolls her eyes. "Fine," she says, and then her eyes narrow. "It's show time."

…

Hinata's screams fill the air as she, Naruto, and Sasuke are sent down a river that's now flooding the town. Naruto has his arms wrapped around her waist as he struggles to keep both of their heads over the water's surface. Sasuke, on the other hand, is under the water's surface, struggling to hang on to his life.

"Hinata," Naruto chokes out. "Bend the water!"

"I can't," she shouts.

"Why not?"

"You're strapping my arms down!"

"Oh…"

Naruto releases Hinata, which sends him further down the "river." Hinata frantically bends the water so that it's floating above the town, and then she hurls it over the edge of Air Kingdom, sending a flood of rain onto Fire Nation. "Whoops," she says. "I bet they won't be too happy about that."

Sasuke and Naruto take in large breaths as Hinata makes their way to them. "What…are you doing that for…?" Sasuke asks between breaths. "You weren't even… under… the water!"

Naruto shrugs. "I'm hyperventilating! I get…like this when…I'm-"

"Scared?" Sasuke interrupts, his eyebrows raised.

"NO!"

"Sasuke, Naruto," Hinata calls as she finally reaches them. "We've got to melt the other out of their casts, and quick!"

"What do you mean, we?" Sasuke mutters. The girl bends over to help Naruto up as Sasuke climbs to his feet and starts back towards the group.

"Wait, Sasuke!" Hinata calls after him. But it's no use; the boy is already too far gone. She turns back to Naruto, who's grinning widely at her. "What…?" she says nervously.

"You're totally hot when you play super hero." He says, his smile widening at Hinata's blush.

"We-we don't have time for this!" she says, and starts after Sasuke. Naruto lets out a defeated sigh and follows suit.

…

When the three reach the other four, they're surprised to see Ino lying unconscious on the ground with the snake standing still as a statue. "What's going on?" Naruto inquires.

"I've got the snake trapped in my shadow possession," Shikamaru answers in a strained voice. "And Ino's got control of his mind, but neither of us can keep hold of it for long."

Sasuke brushes past the two and starts to melt off Neji and Tenten's plaster. "Thanks," Tenten pants.

"You okay?" Neji asks worriedly. Tenten doesn't answer, just leans her head back, her panting growing louder. "It must be the poison. Sasuke, hurry."

"You want me to burn her legs?" the boy asks. At Neji's silence, he says, "Thought so."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata are doing all they can to keep the snake in one place. Naruto bends a three sided box that keeps the snake in one place, helping Shikamaru to control the beast with his shadow jutsu. But Ino on the other hand can't keep the snake's mind at bay, and the claustrophobia is too much to handle.

The blond begins to stir, alerting Hinata. She opens her eyes and sits up quickly. "Shikamaru," she says, startling the boy and causing him to lose control of his shadow jutsu.

"Ino?! Why are you here? I mean, why aren't you in the snake?" Shikamaru exclaims.

"It was too claustrophobic. I couldn't handle it." She says.

The four turn to the now thrashing snake. Naruto squeezes the walls tighter, closing the snake in, but there's enough room for it to wriggle, and as it does, causing the walls to crack. "Naruto, do something!" Hinata shouts. The boy looks around frantically, bending all of the earth he can find and trying to conceal the snake.

Suddenly, Sasuke appears with Neji and Tenten by his side. "What? You helped them before you helped us?" Ino screeches.

"There's no time for that!" Neji scolds. He turns to Sasuke. "Burn it! Now!"

Sasuke nods and opens his mouth. Fire balls erupt, exploding on contact with the snake's skin. He spits out different shapes of fire, ranging from circular to star shaped, and even multitasks, shooting fire from both his mouth and hands.

The group cheers him on, Naruto being the loudest. And finally, the snake shrivels into nothing but a heap of dried, flaky skin. Ino grimaces. "See where all that venom gets you?" she mutters with the shake of her head. Naruto throws his arms around Sasuke's neck in a congratulatory hug, but the boy just shoves him away.

Sasuke's eyes meet Karin's from a distance. She adjusts her glasses.

"We'll meet again," she shouts. "But for now… I retreat."

And in a flash, she's disappeared, the snake skin disappearing as well. "Awesome job, Sasuke," Ino says in approval. "But could you help us out here?" Sasuke kneels down and begins to melt the plaster off of her and Shikamaru's legs, his eyes glazed over in thought.

"I guess I'd better fix all this." Naruto mutters before bending the entire road back together. Neji shakes Tenten's shoulders, trying to wake her, but to no avail.

"She's unconscious from the poison," Neji states. "Hinata, do something."

The bluenette nods before kneeling beside the unconscious girl and resting two glowing hands over her legs. Naruto turns back, clapping his dirtied hands together, and gapes at the girl. "Hinata…what...?"

"She's a medicated bender," Neji states. "She uses water bending to heal."

"Wow," Naruto breathes.

"Yes, I teach Sakura these skills every month. She has troubles with her healing abilities so I train her in secret. She has to impress her father, after all."

"Wait, you're the one who teaches Sakura healing?" Ino inquires. "Because she told me that she was just born with it."

Hinata laughs. "I'd have thought she'd come up with a better cover story." She murmurs. Tenten opens her eyes at that moment, and Neji helps her to sit up, resting her head against his chest.

"You're awake," he whispers. "I was worried."

Tenten looks up into his opaque eyes and smiles softly. "Oh Neji," she whispers, and then kisses his lips from the upside down. Hinata smiles at the cute couple and then retreats to Naruto's side.

"What do we do now, _avatar_?" she asks.

The boy frowns. "There's only one thing to do," he says. "We need to find Tsunade."

**A/N: **Sorry about that… I felt that…my writing style has run off with all of my creativity. Seriously, I tried to write this for you but I sort of lost my touch. Sorry about that, but please comment and I promise the next chapter will be way better!


	8. Missions and Mermaids

Book One~ Water

Chapter Eight~ Missions and Mermaids

**A/N: **Hi guys :) I really want you to enjoy this chapter because it's sort of like the beginning chapter of their adventures. Also, book one will be longer than the other four books. Anyways, comment and, as always, enjoy!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"You failed, Karin?"

"Yes sir. Sasuke was able to read all of my moves. He knows so much about snakes," she adjusts her glasses. "It's amazing. It almost makes me wonder if there's any way to beat him."

Tsunade smiles. "Why yes. And that's precisely why I must have him." She walks toward the window and looks out at the street, watching as the group of teens dash down it right towards the Hokage's office. "Karin, how would you like your old group to be reunited?"

Karin stiffens.

Tsunade reaches for a sheet of paper and scrawls something down. "Come now," she says while placing it on her desk. "We'll find Suigetsu and Jugo and you three can plan you're strategy." She bites the skin of her thumb until a swell of blood appears, and then she marks an X on the note.

"Our strategy…?" Karin repeats.

"Yes. For the reunion of Club Taka. Sasuke included."

…

"Alright you bastard," Naruto shouts while swinging the door wide open. "Where'd you put Tsunade?"

The rest of the group finally catches up to the blond, every one of them panting loudly. "Where'd he put himself, is more like it." Tenten says.

They enter the room, searching high and low for the imposter but coming up with nothing. "They must have fled." Shikamaru says.

"But look," Neji points to a note on Tsunade's desk. Sasuke grabs the sheet of paper and reads it aloud.

"Dear Avatar and friends, I know you've seen through my disguise and are looking for your precious Hokage. I know where you need to look and I will tell you, but first, I must say that Naruto, you are one outstanding teenager. You've proved that even a knucklehead can be a great fighter and bender. Which is why I'd like to battle you."

Naruto grins.

"That wasn't a compliment, moron." Sasuke says while looking up from the note. Naruto frowns.

"For him, I'm sure it was." Ino mumbles.

"I've hidden your Hokage in Fire Nation, somewhere dangerous for not only you, Naruto, but also the group of teens with you. I'm well aware of Sasuke and Shikamaru's criminal statuses, even without having to read their minds. Ino is in for a big surprise, as well."

Ino's eyes widen. "Okay, am I the only one who thinks it's creepy that this freak knows our names?"

"I think it's creepy how he knows so much about us…" Shikamaru says.

"Here's a riddle for you: Your busty Hokage has many fans; she'll be rewarded with lots of hands; skin against skin gives her shudders, but where you will find her is in the futters."

"What's a futter?" Naruto asks.

"It's a small body of water in Fire Nation," Sasuke explains.

"Then why not call it a pool or stream or pond?" Hinata asks.

"Because futters are not ordinary bodies of water. Futters contain water that has been heated by the ground, like a hot springs. But the ground they're located on is toxic."

"So the water is toxic too?" Tenten inquires.

"Precisely."

"Okay, so she's in a futter in Fire Nation," Naruto mumbles.

"What was that part about hands…?" Hinata asks.

"It means people are touching her inappropriately," Neji says. "Hence the shudders."

Hinata's face turns a shade of red unknown to man as her knees begin to shake, causing Naruto to fan her repeatedly with his air bending. Sasuke bites his lip. "That means she's surrounded by perverts." he mutters.

"But if she's in a futter then why would there be men around her?" Tenten asks. "No man is stupid enough to go into a toxic body of water."

"I don't know," Ino sings. "Her chest was incredibly big…"

The others sweat drop.

"Okay, here's the plan," Shikamaru says. "We fly to Fire Nation, search all of the futters, rescue the Hokage, and haul ass right back to Air Kingdom without being caught."

"Nice plan." Ino says sarcastically.

"Yeah, Shikamaru, I expected more from you." Tenten adds.

"Let's think," Sasuke says. "There are two criminals wanted in Fire Nation, a missing girl, three water benders and one air bender. All of us are either wanted or hated by Fire Nation."

"Why don't we go in disguises?" Naruto suggests.

"That's right! Naruto disguised himself as an earth bender for years," Hinata adds. "It may work, if Naruto could do it."

"True." Sasuke says thoughtfully.

"Hey! Hinata, why are you picking on me?" Naruto whines.

"Oh, Naruto, I didn't mean-"

Naruto sighs. "Forget it. We need to get on the road if we want to save Tsunade."

"Right," Tenten says. "We can take Kyuubo."

"Alright! Here we go!"

…

"Aw, Tenten, can't we just ride on his back?" Naruto complains.

"No way! It's too dangerous," Tenten says. "Now everyone in."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Hinata asks.

"Fire Nation is right below Air Kingdom, so not long. Not even a day, I don't think." Ino answers.

Naruto steals a glance at Sasuke. He's sitting on one of Kyuubo's teeth, hunched over, with his hands intertwined in front of his face. His eyes are dark and mysterious, his whole demeanor aloof and foreboding. Naruto averts his gaze and lets his eyes fall to the floor.

_Poor Sasuke…Having to see a loved one rise from the dead…It's must be hard on him._ Naruto thinks.

Sasuke, as if sensing Naruto's thoughts, turns to the boy abruptly, their eyes locking. Sasuke narrows his gaze. Lightning flashes between their eyes as the two go at it, staring each other down as the others watch boredly.

"What are you staring at?" Naruto shouts, annoyed. 

"Keep your thoughts to yourself." Sasuke mutters.

"What!?" Naruto's eyes widen. "Were you reading my mind? That's a total invasion of someone's privacy!"

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I wasn't reading your mind, you limp dick! You were talking to yourself."

Naruto shrinks down to the size of a grape, muttering an apology.

"Does it smell in here, or what?" Tenten says while sniffing the air.

Neji groans. "I thought you said it wouldn't smell in here."

"I did…But the only time it ever smells in here is if Kyuubo ate something…" she turns to Naruto and glares, causing the blond to shrink further so that he's the size of an apple seed. She moans. "Did you feed him radishes?"

"NO!" Naruto shouts in defense.

"Actually, he didn't," Hinata says. "It was when Suigetsu appeared… Kyuubo hid himself in the dumpster and as we were fighting Suigetsu off, he ate an old radish. Sorry."

Tenten sighs. "Can't be helped…"

"Suigetsu…fought you?" Sasuke asks quietly.

Hinata and Naruto turn to the boy whose eyes are glued to his feet. Naruto sighs. "Yeah… Out of nowhere, you know? He attacked Hinata and…I stepped in to save her. Then he told me to…well, you know the rest." Sasuke nods.

"Was he a good guy?" Tenten asks quietly.

Sasuke stiffens, and then relaxes his shoulders.

"Yeah," he says. "He was a real good guy."

_Flashback_

"Karin, hurry it up! We're headed to the bathhouse to pull pranks on the women!" Suigetsu shouts into the forest. When there's no snotty reply, he turns to Sasuke and Jugo. "I'll be back. I think something's wrong."

Before the two could protest, the white haired boy was gone. He speeds through the thick foliage, scanning the area and calling out Karin's name. There was still no answer, and no sign of the girl's fiery red hair. Suigetsu curses under his breath.

"Karin!" he shouts. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, the boy trips over something on the ground and falls on his face. He groans while climbing to his feet. "What was that?" he mutters while clutching his head in pain. When he turns around, though, he finds none other than Karin lying unconscious on the ground. His eyes widen.

"Karin!"He shakes the girl's shoulders until finally, her eyes open. "Karin! You're okay!" he helps her to sit up. "What happened?"

She squints up at him, nonplussed. "Who…who is that? Sasuke?" she says.

"Uh…no…" Suigetsu says. "Hey, where are your glasses?"

Karin lifts her hand to her nose, grabbing at the air in the spot where her glasses used to be. "I don't know…" she says slowly.

"Well what happened?"

"I don't know that either. There were some guys. I think they were trying to…do something to me. They must have broken my glasses or something."

"Do something? You mean…like, rape?" Suigetsu says, shocked.

"Maybe," she shrugs. "Can you help me up?"

The two rise to their feet, Suigetsu gripping her forearms to balance her. Her glances around the forest floor. "Oh!" he says. "There are your glasses!" he lets go of her for a second to reach down and pick up the pair of pink polka dots glasses. "Here," he hands them to her. "There's a crack, but we can fix that."

She takes them gratefully and sets them on her nose, blinking a few times. "Oh, Suigetsu…" she says in disappointment.

"What do you mean, "Oh, Suigetsu"?" the boy exclaims in falsetto as he mimics her.

"Whatever," she says. "Let's just get out of here."

Suddenly, three boys appear from behind the trees wearing grins that reach their eyes. "Look who we have here," one says. "The flat chested book worm!"

"I'm not flat chested!" Karin shouts in rage.

Suigetsu places a hand on her arm, stepping in front of her slightly. "Leave her alone! She's only ten. Of course she doesn't have a chest!"

"Hey!" she growls while smacking him upside the head.

"Ow! I'm defending you!" he shouts while turning around to face her.

She crosses her arms. "Well could you do it without insulting me?!"

"Hey, bicker-brothers," one of the guys says.

"No, call them bicker-sisters," the third guy says. "Since that guy looks like a girl!" he and the other boy start laughing, but the second one frowns.

"No, it's the bicker-brothers because she doesn't have a chest!" he argues. The other two stop laughing and share a look.

"Well I say they're the bicker-sisters!"

"Bicker-brothers!"

"Sister!"

"Brothers!"

"Now's our chance," Suigetsu whispers. "Let's go."

The two creep away as the bicker-triplets go at it. The two run speedily through the forest once they're far enough away, hand in hand. When they reach the clearing, Karin releases Suigetsu's hand and leaps into Sasuke's not-so-open arms. "Oh, Sasuke!" she shouts. "I was so scared! These boys tried to rape me, and when this bozo showed up, I thought I was a goner!"

Sasuke pries the girl off of him, turning to Suigetsu with raised eyebrows. The boy rolls his eyes. "They were hardly raping you. They were calling you flat chested, and call me crazy, but I don't think they thought you were attractive."

Karin glances at Sasuke with red cheeks, embarrassed. She huffs, sticking her nose up. "You're just jealous that I was getting attention!" she says.

"Right…"

"Suigetsu, how did you guys escape?" Jugo asks.

"When the three were distracted, I pulled Karin out of there and made a run for here." He explains.

"Karin," Sasuke says. "Suigetsu saved your life."

Karin frowns, turning to the black haired beauty that is her crush. She sighs at the look he gives her. "Fine. Thank you, Suigetsu." The white haired boy grins. "But I would have rather had Sasuke save me."

The three boys roll their eyes.

_End Flashback_

"He was…really a true friend. Even with how Karin treated him, he never turned his back on her." Sasuke finishes.

"Sounds like he had a crush." Ino says with a wink.

"She sounds like a major pain." Shikamaru says. "Troublesome."

"She was," Sasuke says. "But she was still a friend."

"You aren't thinking of…" Hinata lets her sentence trail off, but everyone already knows the ending.

"No," Sasuke says, and everyone inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm not joining their army of the undead."

"Which brings to mind…" Neji says. "What's this guy's plan?"

Everyone's silent for a moment, until Kyuubo jerks to a stop. "I don't know," Naruto says while rising to his feet. "But right now, all that matters is finding Tsunade."

"Wait," Hinata says as Naruto heads for the exit. She places a hand on his shoulder. "We need to disguise ourselves first."

"Oh, right…" Naruto says with a sheepish grin.

"Well mine, Shikamaru's, and Sasuke's outfits are already fine," Ino says. "It's our faces. They're recognizable."

"And the rest of us need Fire Nation clothing." Neji adds.

"Well, I brought extra clothing," Ino mumbles while rummaging through her bag. "Tenten and Hinata, I have outfits for you two."

"I guess we can share our clothes with those two." Shikamaru says to Sasuke.

"Right, but then we'll need to dye your hair," Tenten says. "And put on some makeup."

"Dye my hair?!" Ino shouts while clutching strands of platinum. "I'm not doing that! Do you know how dead my hair will be if I die it?"

"Too bad, Ino. Take one for the team." Sasuke says.

"You too, Sasuke." Hinata says.

"I'm thinking a fiery red." Tenten adds with a grin.

Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Clothes now, hair later." Ino says. "Here, Tenten, you can wear my red genie pants and tube top. Here are the matching shoes and hair accessories." She thrusts the supplies into Tenten's arms. "I'll do your hair." She turns to Hinata.

"And for you, I have a maroon _skort_ with matching top." She hands Hinata the _skort _and sleeveless top. The shirt has a collar that wraps around the neck with two tiny buttons on one side. "You can also have these cuffs." She says while handing Hinata two golden wrist cuffs.

"Now get changed!"

(A/N: I will be drawing Hinata and Tenten in their Fire Nation clothes, maybe the others too. Go to my Deviant Art account to see! PrincessT153.)

Tenten and Hinata stare at the group of boys watching them, and then Tenten says, "Oh, Hell no! All of you turn around!"

They do so, albeit a bit sad.

When the girls are finished changing, the boys take their turns. Neji dresses in a brown vest with nothing underneath and green sweat pants while Naruto wears a red sleeveless shirt and black shorts that reach his knees. Tied around his head is a black ribbon-type cloth with the Fire Nation symbol on it.

"This is awesome!" Naruto exclaims.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino says. "Now about us… I know how to apply makeup so that we look different, but the hair…"

"Sasuke will have red hair, Shikamaru…" Tenten ponders. "Blue…And Ino can have brown."

"I have contacts," Hinata says. "They're different colors. Let me see which colors I have…"

"Wait, contacts?" Naruto inquires. "Is that why your eyes are purple?"

Hinata laughs. "No, it's a family thing."

"Then why do you carry around contacts?"

"Because they're medical contacts. I'm a medicated bender. If someone goes blind, or has something in their eyes, I add special healing water to the contacts and then apply them to the patient." She shrugs. "I bought them in different colors because I think they're pretty. So, Ino can have green, Shikamaru will have grey, and Sasuke will have yellow."

"Yellow eyes and red hair? Won't that draw attention to me?" Sasuke inquires.

"No one will know it's you though, so who cares?" Naruto says.

"Idiots. All of you."

"Okay," Tenten and Hinata say simultaneously. "Let's do this!"

…

The group walks down an empty street, their heads turned this way and that, searching for any signs of Tsunade. "Where are the futters located?" Tenten asks.

"Near the beach," Sasuke answers. "But they're far off. We'll have to swim out there."

"No problem." Hinata says while sharing a smile with Neji. "And Naruto, this will be great practice for you!"

Naruto laughs nervously. "Yup!"

"Uh, guys," Ino says while stopping dead in her tracks. "I think we have a problem."

The group turns their attention to "the problem" and gasps. On every inch of every wall of every building is a poster of Ino. Her eyes widen. "Oh no!" she groans.

"Crap, this may put a dent in our plans." Shikamaru says.

"This is the worst school picture ever taken of me!" Ino exclaims. "They must have put it up on purpose as punishment for running away! Ugh! I _hate_ them!"

"Don't say that!" Naruto and Sasuke shout simultaneously. Lightning flashes between the two, and then they turn away from each other with a huff. Ino stands there, shrinking ever so slowly in fear.

"Hey, look!" Hinata says. "It's Sakura!"

Everyone turns their heads towards the pinkette. She's dressed in a formal, glimmering red gown with golden hand cuffs on each of her wrists and ankles. Attached to the cuffs are shimmering veils of red. Her hair is fashioned in its usual pixie cut and a red paper rose is placed behind her left ear.

"Wow," Sasuke breathes, earning a look from Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. He turns away again, grunting. Sakura senses someone's eyes on her and turns in the direction of the group. Her eyes widen when she sees Hinata and Naruto, and quickly, she rushes to them.

"Naruto? Hinata? What are you guys doing here?" Hinata opens her mouth to answer but Sakura keeps rattling on. "Oh wait, you're here for Naruto's fire bending lesson, right?" she glances over her shoulder. "I can't do it today, actually. I'm attending a special party."

"A party? When I'm missing?" Ino mumbles in outrage. Sakura's emerald eyes flash to the blond-now-brunette.

"Who're you?" she asks.

"Oh, um…" Ino's eyes dart around the alley for an answer. "Butaniku," she stutters. "But people call me Buta."

Everyone face palms.

(A/N: Butaniku means pork in Japanese, when Ino means pig.)

"Oh…what an odd name," Sakura says slowly. "I'm Sakura. And you four are?" she motions to Sasuke, Shikamaru, Neji, and Tenten.

"This is Ahiru (duck)," Ino says while motioning to the pale Sasuke. "And that is Namake (Namakemoro means lazy)," motioning to Shikamaru. "Dougu (tool)," motioning to Neji, "And that's Yorokobi (Pleasure), but we call her Kobi-chan."

Sakura blinks.

Hinata and Naruto stare at Ino, slack jawed.

"Well, um…it was nice meeting you guys. I'll check with you later. I'm going to be late." She waves to the group, stealing another look at Sasuke, before dashing back to her party. Everyone turns to Ino with fire in their eyes. The girl laughs sheepishly.

"What? At least I came up with names." She says.

"My name is…duck?" Sasuke says in horror. "That was so embarrassing."

"Why, because a cute girl thinks your name is duck?" Naruto teases.

"Can it, ramen topping!"

"My name is tool? Is that supposed to be a joke?" Neji says threateningly.

"Am I really that pleasuring…?" Tenten mumbles to herself.

"Guys, can we focus on finding Tsunade?" Hinata cuts in.

"Right," Naruto says while shooting Sasuke one last glare. "That's the most important thing right now."

"We'd better head down to the beach, then." Tenten says.

Ino scratches at her top lip, accidentally causing her fake mole to fall to the ground. The group heads out of the alley and to the beach, leaving a man in a dark overcoat to watch them in suspicion. He bends down and picks up the mole, holding it between his thumb and index finger.

"Ino Yamanaka," he says in a throaty voice. "I've finally found you."

…

"Is that it?" Tenten says while pointing to a small lagoon.

"No."

"Is that it?"

"No."

"Is that it?"

"No, Tenten, I'll tell you when I see it." Sasuke bites out through gritted teeth.

"Okay, sheesh." Tenten mumbles.

…

"Are we there yet?"

"RRAAAHHHHH!"

"Sasuke," Ino scolds. "Don't draw attention to yourself!"

"Um, Ino," Hinata says. "I could have sworn you were wearing a mole only a second ago."

"A mole…?" she lifts two fingers to her face and gasps when she finds it isn't there. "My mole is gone!"

"You were wearing it when we saw Sakura." Shikamaru says.

"Then it must be in the sea!" Ino exclaims.

"Well don't try to bend down and look," Hinata says. "You'll throw this wave off course."

"Hey Sasuke," Neji says. "Are we there yet?"

The Uchiha's eyes nearly pop out of his head at the Hyuga's statement, but then he realizes that they are, in fact, there. "Yes," he says.

Hinata and Neji land the wave on the edge of a small island. "So where are the futters?" Tenten asks.

"Deep within the island." Sasuke says. "There are tons of them, so watch out and make sure you check every single one of them."

"Let's split up into groups." Neji suggests. "Tenten and I will go with Naruto and Hinata while Shikamaru, Ino, and Sasuke will go together."

"Fine by me," Ino says. "I get two hotties!" she holds up her fingers in a peace sign while looping one of her arms with Shikamaru's. "Come on, Sasuke… I mean, _Ahiru_." She giggles while grasping his left arms and looping it with hers. "Catch ya' guys!"

Neji and Tenten shake their heads. "Honestly, romance hurts my head." Neji says.

"Right?" Tenten agrees, and then the two walk off into the other direction of the island. Naruto and Hinata sweat drop.

…

"Shouldn't we hear laughing if Tsunade is one of these with a bunch of men?" Naruto asks while crouching to look under plants.

"I don't know her very well but I do know that if it were me, I'd be screaming, not laughing." Tenten says. "And what are you doing? They didn't shrink to the size of ants! Why would they be hiding under a plant?"

"I'm looking past the plants, _Kobi-chan_." He retorts.

Tenten smacks him upside the head, a vein in her forehead throbbing. "Actually, that's smart," Hinata says. "Plus, there might be some hidden traps."

"A-hah!" Naruto exclaims while wrapping his arms around the girl's neck. "I knew Hinata would have my back!"

Neji shoots him a glower from over his shoulder but continues walking, nonetheless. "Don't do anything…perverted, Uzumaki." He mutters.

Naruto laughs nervously while whispering to Hinata, "Good thing he was in jail while we were...you know..."

Hinata's eyes widen and she smack's the boy's arm. "Shhh," she hisses.

"That's twelve futters so far and none of them have Tsunade," Tenten says with a sigh. "I wonder how the others are doing."

…

The three stride along the island, going deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest. Ino is swaying her hips back and forth to the tune of a song she's singing, bumping her hips into Shikamaru and Sasuke who are about ready to keel over from her insanely terrible singing.

Sasuke groans. "Ino, stop that ruckus! Do you want to scare off Tsunade?"

Ino frowns. "The only thing that'll scare her off is your hair!" she retorts.

Shikamaru sighs. "I think we're all getting jungle fever, here." He says boredly.

Ino snorts. "Shikamaru, you're just saying that so you can pretend to faint."

"Why would I do that?"

"So you can take a nap! We all know you're the laziest person alive."

"Hn and you're the most troublesome."

"Then why are we dating?"

"Because you-"

"Guys," Sasuke interrupts.

"Oh no, I want to hear this!" Ino says while shooing the red head away. "So what's the reason, _Shika_?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes and breaks away from the group, following the splashing sound he'd heard moment before. _They'll be fine,_ he thinks to himself. The boy tears his way through the thick leaves of the bushes and trees until he comes to a certain futter. Splashing is coming from it.

_Is it…could it be? _

He pulls apart the last of the foliage separating him from the futter, and then freezes dead in his tracks. There in the water, enveloped with steam, is Suigetsu. He's in his fish form, a greenish blue tail trailing behind him. When he sees Sasuke, his face lights up.

"Sasuke? Is that you?" he says cheekily. Sasuke emerges from the foliage and stand before Suigetsu. "Wow…um…I like what you did with your hair…I think." He laughs. "And why are your eyes gold? I thought they turned red."

"Shhh," Sasuke silences the boy, whipping his head form left to right. "Don't mention that here."

"So, what's up with the odd getup?" Suigetsu asks while leaning back, enjoying the steam on his neck.

"It's a disguise…" he says.

"But you live here! Why would you need a disguise?" Silence follows the boy's question. "Forget it."

"Where's Tsunade?" Sasuke inquires.

"Who?" Sasuke blinks at the boy's genuinely confused face.

"The Hokage of Air Kingdom. Your boss kidnapped her. He said we could find her in a futter."

"Hmm…sounds interesting." He flips his tail, spraying Sasuke with droplets of water. "Oops, sorry, I forgot it was toxic to humans." Sasuke brushes off the droplets with his shirt.

"So if you don't know where Tsunade is, then why are you here?" Sasuke inquires suspiciously.

"Wow, no, _it's nice to see you again, buddy!_…?" Suigetsu says. Something flashes across his face, hurt, maybe.

Sasuke sighs. "It's nice to see you again," he says while taking a seat beside the water's edge. "…Buddy..."

Suigetsu grins. "That's more like it! Have you seen Karin yet?"

"Yeah…"

"She looks nice, huh? Finally grew that chest she wanted," the boy laughs. "Although not by very much."

"You haven't answered my question yet," Sasuke points out.

"Oh, and Jugo? He's here too. Man has he grown!"

"Suigetsu-" Sasuke says.

"The boy's as tall as a building and muscular too, but he's still as gentle as a butterfly. In fact…" Suigetsu's eyes flick to the water. He lifts his hands from beneath the surface and stares at them as the water glistens on his pale skin. "He doesn't want to kill you."

Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Do…you?"

Suigetsu sighs. "Sasuke…I don't want to. But think about! We could have Club Taka again! Club Taka, of the undead!"

Sasuke turns away from the boy. Suigetsu drops his hands back into the water glumly. "Don't you want us back? Don't you want your old friends?"

"Of course I do," Sasuke mumbles angrily. "You guys…were all I had. But you're dead now! You were killed and…and seeing you again after all that time…!" he closes his eyes as tears brim in the corners. Suigetsu's eyes fall back to the water. "I don't want to die too, even if it means being with you three."

Suigetsu's eyes widen in both hurt and shock.

"You-?"

"I have other friends now and a new life!" Sasuke shouts while climbing to his feet. He looks down at the boy in the water. "You aren't…real..."

Silence fills the forest, and then suddenly, the water begins to swirl like a whirlpool. Sasuke takes a few jerky steps backwards as Suigetsu rises in the air, a spiraling wave of water enveloping him. The water begins to bubble and fizz as Suigetsu's anger rises.

Out of nowhere, Karin and Jugo appear. The girl's eyes are brimmed with tears and her glasses are fogged over. Jugo has a sad face.

"Guys-"

"Don't, Sasuke," Karin says. "We tried it the easy way. Now we do it the hard way." Her glasses shine in the light, and a second later, she's by Sasuke's side, gripping one of his arms. Jugo appears on his other side and lifts the boy in the air. Karin frowns up at the struggling boy. "I…" she turns away from him. "I don't want to be the one to do it."

Suigetsu rolls his eyes. "Of course not! He's your love!"

Karin bites her trembling lip as tears cascade down her cheeks and flood her glasses. The boy steps out of the water and looks up at Jugo's relenting face. He sighs. "Fine. I guess I'm the one who'll have to kill my best friend."

He lifts the sword off of his back and holds it over his head. "Club Taka, of the undead," he whispers before swinging the sword. But before it can make even a scratch on Sasuke, it freezes. Sasuke's eyes widen when he sees Shikamaru in the background using shadow control.

"He's not yours anymore," Shikamaru says.

Suigetsu strains to look over his shoulder, but to no avail. Shikamaru has him grounded, like a mom tightly bubble-wrapping her child. Nara smirks. Suddenly, Ino and two other appear from the foliage. She's brought Hinata and Tenten, but Neji and Naruto are nowhere to be found.

Karin wipes the tears from her eyes, cleans her glasses hastily. "I don't think so," Ino says. "He's my friend!" and then more quietly, "And my second choice if Shikamaru doesn't work out."

Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Tenten all roll their eyes. But Karin's lips pinch in a tight frown. "Well maybe you should hang onto your man because this one is mine!" she shouts before weaving a jutsu.

"Huh!?"

Hinata bends the water from the futter over their heads, careful not to let a single drop touch their skin, as shimmering purple scales rain down. Luckily, the acid from the futter water melts the scales on contact, evaporating them and creating a mist.

"Now's our chance!" Tenten whispers.

Ino takes control of Karin's body at that moment, leaving Tenten to catch her. Hinata bends the water at Suigetsu, careful not to touch Sasuke or Karin. Her eyes widen, though, when nothing happens to the boy. He smirks.

"Like playing with my dirty bathwater?" he says in a strained voice.

Hinata frowns. "Fine," she murmurs. "Then I'll aim it at someone else!"

"No, Hinata," Tenten shouts. "They can't be killed, remember? The only way to kill them is to destroy their hearts, which their master has."

"Destroy our _what?_" Suigetsu shouts.

Ino takes the liberty to explain it since she's got Karin's body and mind in her control. "Your boss takes out your hearts when he raises you from the dead. He keeps them with him in case you're to betray him. And if you do then he kills you."

Suigetsu's eyes widen.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke says. "Please…just go back to the underworld. You'll be happier there."

"Are you telling me to betray my master and get myself killed…? Again?!" Suigetsu demands.

"Think about it! Right now you're standing before me, in the flesh and blood, without a heart! He's controlling you! All you are is a puppet, a _minion_. Is that what you want to be?"

Suigetsu bites his bottom lip, drawing blood with his sharp, shark-like teeth. "If I can have it like old times again…" he says quietly. "Then yes!"

"No!" someone shouts.

Naruto and Neji appear then. Naruto's frown is so deep that is reaches to his chin, and his eyebrows are furrowed down to his nose. "You…you'd really make yourself a puppet so you can have Sasuke back?' he says angrily. "Well, it won't be like old times! Your master won't let you have Club Taki, or whatever! He'll just order you around to go kill of more people for his army!"

"You don't even know what he's doing." Jugo says quietly.

Naruto turns to him, and his expression softens.

"You're right. But I'm sure that whatever it is, it isn't good. I'm the avatar, and I'm supposed to keep people like him from destroying the world. So the first step to that…is healing."

"He sounds so much like a psychiatrist." Tenten whispers to Hinata, who's now in chibi form, nodding her head in agreement.

"He took your bending, didn't he?" Naruto continues. "He's doing it for a reason. He wants your bending abilities, doesn't he?"

"Who knows?" Suigetsu sneers. "And who cares?"

"You do," Naruto says. "And I do. Sasuke does, and so does the whole world! Compared to that creep, Fire Nation looks like Wonka's Chocolate Factory!"

Jugo sets Sasuke down gently, causing Suigetsu's eyes to bug out. "You-?"

"I…don't want Club Taka," he says quietly. "I want Sasuke to be happy. And you too." He places a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

Suigetsu's eyes fall to the ground.

"Well I…I'm not going to…I'm not going to succumb to this!" Suigetsu shouts.

He breaks from Shikamaru's jutsu, surprising everyone, and stabs Karin in the arm. She screams, falling to the floor as Ino jolts up in her own body, blood seeping from her arm. The real Karin climbs to her feet as her wound heals, sending Suigetsu a dirty look.

Shikamaru falls to Ino's side, cradling her in his arms protectively. Tenten rises to her feet and begins to bend a large wind storm directed at the group of undead. Suigetsu just smirks and takes Karin under his wing. Jugo follows the two into the futter and in an instant, they're gone. Tenten lets the wind die down, cursing under her breath.

"Stand back," Hinata says while kneeling beside the bloody Ino. "I'll fix it."

"That must be a portal of some sort." Tenten says to Neji as they stare into the water's depths.

"Oh!" Sasuke says in realization. "I know where Tsunade is!"

"What?" the group says in unison.

"She's at…the hot springs resort…" he says sheepishly.

"Hot springs?" Naruto repeats.

Shikamaru groans.

"Right, there's a hot springs called Futters Resort."

Everyone sweat drops.

"All better," Hinata says while bandaging up Ino's arm. "That was really brave." She gives the girl a smile and helps her to sit up.

"Thanks," Ino says. "Hey, Hinata? Could you teach me that medial bending too?"

Hinata's smile widens. "Of course! The three of us can have lessons!"

"Great!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get Tsunade." Tenten says, cutting in on the two's conversation.

"Right."

Sasuke stares into the futter, a distant look in his dark eyes. Naruto comes up beside him, his reflection appearing beside Sasuke's. They stare at each other through the water, and then Naruto gives him a smile. "I'm proud of you." He says.

Sasuke turns away from the boy with a grunt, but secretly, his lips curve up into a small, appreciative smile.

**A/N: **So how was that?! I hope it made up for the last chappie -_- Remember, visit me on DA to see my drawings! Ja ne!


	9. HotSpringtime of Youth

Book One~Water

Chapter Nine~ _Hot Spring_time of youth

**A/N: **So the title is a play on words, or whatever it's called… You know, like on Wheel of Fortune where they have one word that flows into the next? Yeah, never mind -_- Anyway, it's supposed to be Hot springs and Spring time of youth…n kind catchy, huh? Okay, well, please enjoy this chappie cuz I'm supposed to be doing homework right now XD

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"It's getting dark. Where's the Hot Springs?" Tenten inquires while panting. She stops to catch her breath, causing the others to stop too.

Ino takes in a large breath before saying, "It's…somewhere near the fireworks store."

"No it isn't," Sasuke disagrees. "It's by the pet store."

"You're both wrong. It's joined with the Sparks Hotel." Shikamaru says.

"The Sparks Hotel? I thought that was torn down years ago…" Ino says in confusion.

"No, that was the Crimson Inn." Sasuke says.

"I think it's obvious that none of you know a shit about what you're saying," Neji cuts in. "So let's just ask someone for directions."

"Too much of a risk if we ask," Sasuke says. "Up close, someone might recognize us. You ask." Neji grunts, crossing his arms, but complies nonetheless. His eyes search the streets for a passerby and spots a young, dark haired girl near a jewelry stand. He lets out a sigh before heading towards the girl, hands in his pockets and usual frown adorning his face.

"Hi there," he greets. The girl turns around, showing her sparkly blue eyes, glossy lips, and curvaceous body. She gives him a seductive smile, which he ignores. "I'm looking for the Futter Springs."

"Oh," she says in a sing-song tone. "You're looking for a joined bath, huh?" she grabs his forearm and loops it with hers. "I'll join you, if you need some company."

"Joined…bath…?" Neji blinks, shakes his head. "No, I'm not looking for a companion. And I _just_ want directions."

The girl frowns, lifting her index finger. "Don't be so hard on me. I promise I can give you what you like." She winks, causing Neji to stiffen. On the other side of the street, the others watch with wide eyes, each of their hearts pumping furiously with fear at Tenten's vicious glare. The brunette mutters a curse under her breath and stomps towards the two, cracking her knuckles.

"Hi, Neji," Tenten greets with a false smile. Her eyes turn to the girl clutching Neji's arm and they narrow. "We don't want to be late for our reservations at the Hot Springs," she cocks her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Who's your whore-I mean, friend?" She smiles sweetly at the girl, who in return frowns, releasing Neji's arm.

"What did you just say?" she asks through gritted teeth.

Tenten shrugs. "You're molesting my boyfriend, whore," she says harshly. "We'd like directions to the bath house, no _free rides_. Okay?"

The girl huffs and then points down the street. "I hope you're willing to share him with everyone else." And with that, she storms away.

"What did she mean by that?" Tenten asks with a sharp edge to her voice.

"Now I know how the men have been touching Tsunade." Neji mutters.

"What?" the look of shock on Tenten's face is enough to make Neji chuckle under his breath.

"But perhaps visiting a shared bath house isn't such a bad idea?" he scratches under Tenten's chin before heading across the street towards the impatient group, leaving the brunette with a flushed face and throbbing heart.

"So it's that way, huh?" Sasuke asks.

"I guess we were all wrong." Ino says with a laugh.

"But obviously it's connected to some hotel, so I was the closest." Shikamaru says.

Naruto rolls his eyes. "And I thought I was childish."

Hinata giggles quietly beside him, watching as the three Fire Nation experts stride down the street bickering back and forth. "I was thinking," she says to Naruto as they near the bath house. "Maybe we should spend a night at the hotel. I mean, no offense to Kyuubo or Tenten, but I don't want to sleep in a cat's stomach again tonight."

"I'm with you," Naruto says. "Let's ask the others."

"Here we are," Sasuke says boredly. "The Futters Hot Springs."

"No hotel?" Ino says mockingly. "Hmmm…"

"That's because the bath house _is_ a hotel." Sasuke says before entering the building. Shikamaru and Ino keep at it, entering after Sasuke with the other four in tow. Ino reaches the counter and grins. "Hi, we're looking for a Tsunade…?" the woman at the desk blinks. "You know…big chest," Ino creates two large breasts with her hands. "Blond hair….?"

"Yes, she's in the bath as we speak." The woman says, eyeing Ino oddly.

"Great, we'd like to go get her." Shikamaru says.

"I'm afraid that isn't-"

"We'd also like to spend the night," Naruto interrupts. The group gives him a look that says _are you nuts?_ But he just shrugs it off. "We'd like three rooms, please."

"I'm afraid we only have two available," the woman says. "Each room comes with two twin size beds. Will that be alright?" she looks a bit wary at the idea of the teens sharing rooms.

"That'll work out just fine," Naruto says cheerfully. The woman hands him their bedrooms keys and books them in the catalog. Naruto hands Sasuke one of the keys and slips the other in his pants pocket with a proud grin.

"Naruto, why didn't you ask us for our consent first?" Shikamaru asks. "That was stupid. We don't have any money to pay this woman!"

"Sure we do," Naruto says with a shrug. "Tsunade must have some money up those-" he pauses at Hinata's expression. "Sleeves…"

"There's something you should know about this bathhouse," Neji says. The group turns to the grave-looking Hyuga in question. "This is a joined bathhouse."

"What!?" they all shout in unison.

"It's true," Tenten says grimly.

"One can only imagine what's going on in there…what with Tsunade in there, anyway." Naruto says.

"Naruto!" Ino and Tenten shout at the same time as Hinata shies away from the group, a small frown on her face.

_He's so…perverse. It's sad to hear him speak such vulgar things, especially when they all are centered around breasts. _Hinata thinks to herself. Suddenly, Naruto appears before her with a concerned expression. She squeaks in surprise, her face reddening by his presence.

"You guys go ahead," Naruto calls over his shoulder. "We'll meet you in there." Neji gives him a pointed look, a warning not to touch his cousin, before following the rest of the group into the changing room. The blind turns back to the timid girl before him and cocks his head to the side.

"Hinata," he says softly. "What's the matter? Do you not want to go in there?"

She looks up into his glimmering blue eyes and shakes her head. "It's not that I don't want to go in there, it's more like I don't want you to go in there." She says, her voice barely audible. Naruto's eyebrows furrow slightly.

"You mean because it's a joined bath?"

"Naruto…I know I'm being selfish… I usually am. It's just that you're always speaking about…breasts." She lowers her gaze. "I don't like perverse people."

Naruto watches her with broken eyes. "I…I didn't realize," he says. Then unexpectedly, he takes Hinata's hands in his. "But Hinata, you need to understand that I'm not perverted at all. So maybe I address Tsunade's breasts a lot, but come on, who wouldn't?" he cracks a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but to no avail. Hinata is still staring up at him with an upset expression.

Naruto sighs. "I won't speak of it again. But…why do you hate it so much? Obviously it can't be because you're self conscious." Hinata averts her gaze to the side, her cheeks tinted with a dark shade of crimson. "Wait, Hinata, are you self conscious?" Naruto inquires in surprise.

"I…"

Naruto stares at her for a moment, and then he does something unexpected. He pulls her to his chest in a sympathetic hug, his arms wrapping around her body and resting on the small of her back as his chin settles on the top of her head. "Hinata," he says while his large, strong hands rub up and down her spine. "You have nothing to be self conscious about. You're beautiful in every way and also, my perverse thoughts about breasts are only focused on one set."

Hinata's eyes widen, and she inwardly thanks Kami that Naruto can't see the way her cheeks flush a maroon/brown color, something completely odd altogether. But Naruto does notice the way her body trembles at his words, and so he releases her with a small sigh. "Don't hate me. Besides, Tsunade's breasts are far too big for my taste. Yours are perfect." He winks at the blushing, trembling girl before him. "Oh shit, that didn't help much, did it? I'm sorry, Hinata, I just wanted-"

"I…I like it when you speak that way about me," she interrupts, though it's a surprise how Naruto could even hear her quiet, embarrassed voice over his booming one. But then again, Naruto hears everything Hinata says. The boy's eyes widen at her words, but he doesn't stop her. "Not that I want you to talk dirty to me…but it does make me feel good about myself. Though I have to admit, I get a little jealous when you speak about other girls' breasts." She looks down in shame.

"Hinata," Naruto breathes. "I didn't know you felt that way…" he grins devilishly. "I had no idea you were so horny!"

"Naruto!" Hinata exclaims with wide eyes that search for any eavesdroppers. "I…don't…" she sighs. "I can't speak with you about such things. We aren't even an item."

Naruto's mind clicks.

_Brain bam! Or was it brain fart…? No… Brain Rocket?_

"Then how about we make ourselves an item?" Naruto asks.

"What? No! I couldn't…"

"Why not?"

"Because…I'm not very good with relationships."

Naruto laughs. "Are you kidding me? You'd make a great girlfriend… In fact, you'd even make a great wife." He winks at the blushing girl before tugging on her hand and leading her to the changing room. "Sleep on it, okay?"

"Okay…"

…

"Tsunade!" Naruto exclaims while pointing an accusing finger at the naked woman. The Air Kingdom's Hokage is deep in the water, her head titled back in content as a group of men crowd around to massage the length of her body.

She opens an eye to look at the noisy blond before her, and a sigh escapes her lips. "Alright, boys, that's enough." She says while holding up a hand, signaling for them to quit. They mutter in disappointment while rising from the water, causing Ino, Tenten, and Hinata to blush profusely. Naruto's eyebrow twitches at how open the men are and shields Hinata from the view by pulling her into his bare chest.

"So Naruto gets jealous?" Ino says tauntingly. "I'll have to use that to my advantage."

The blond shoots her a glare before releasing the bluenette in his arms. Tsunade grunts, bringing his attention back to her. "What are you guys doing here?" she inquires.

"We're here to save the kidnapped Hokage!" Naruto retorts. "But obviously she doesn't need saving!"

"Hn, and you were going to save me in bath towels? It looks more to me like you're on vacation."

"I could say the same for you! You're not supposed to be enjoying a _harem,_ you're supposed to be a hostage! A _miserable hostage_!"

Tsunade rolls her eyes. "Oh, alright. I was taken hostage by a large man with orange hair and he told me that I needed to take a vacation. He dropped me off here and yes, I did try escaping, but the man had put some sort of jutsu on me. I couldn't leave the Inn, period. So I figured I'd might as well enjoy myself while I'm here." She shrugs.

"So we can't take her with us," Naruto mutters.

"Unless the jutsu wears off," Neji cuts in. "I've heard of this type of jutsu. It lasts just as long as the user is awake. So when your imposter falls asleep, you'll be free."

"If that freak even sleeps." Tenten mutters.

"So who is this man anyway?" Tsunade asks. "And what has he done to the village so far?"

"All we know is he's been raising the dead," Shikamaru answers. Tsunade's eyes narrow as her mind flashes back to her talk with Naruto upon his arrival in the village. "He's trying to kill Naruto and Sasuke. I figure he wants them as his puppets as well."

"So he kills them and then raises them back?" Tsunade says. "What's the point?"

"The point is, he takes their bending away and replaces it with new powers," Sasuke says. "The question is, why does he want their bending?"

The group is silent as they ponder the question, and then Tsunade says, "So, who are you guys?"

Everyone face palms.

…

"Interesting. So you three are from Fire Nation and you're traveling with the avatar now?" the three nod. "You're an interesting bunch, that's for sure."

"Well actually, we're in disguise." Ino says.

"Really? Why?"

Sasuke and Shikamaru sweat drop.

"Ino…ran away from home with me," Shikamaru says. "As did Sasuke. Everyone is looking for us and we really don't want to be caught."

"Oh? Why did you run away?"

"I needed their help," Neji says quickly, before Ino can say anything. "Ino is a metal bender and Sasuke is a fire bender. I knew that if I brought them along, we wouldn't have to put Naruto and Hinata in danger by visiting Fire Nation to find a fire bending master. Of course, we ended up here anyway, so it was pointless. Shikamaru came because he has special techniques to teach Naruto and also, wherever Ino goes, he goes."

Shikamaru shoots Neji a glower while Ino sits proud as a lion, a smirk gracing her lips. "So that's why we're here." Neji finishes.

"And you're Hinata's cousin, whom Hiashi sent?" Tsunade asks.

"Yes."

"Very well," The woman lets out a sigh. "I think I'll go to my room now."

"Oh, that reminds me," Naruto says. "Do you have any money? We need to pay the hotel clerk."

Tsunade narrows her gaze on him. "No. My vacation was payed for by the orange haired man." everyone turns to Naruto with accusing glares. "But, of course, I could earn some money for you guys…I'll be somewhere in the hotel if you need me."

Naruto's jaw drops to the water's surface at the woman's words. "Tsunade, you'd really lower yourself to that!?" he shouts in accusation.

"It's how I lived until I became Hokage," she says with a grin. "Really takes me back…"

"That's sickening." Tenten mutters.

"Okay, well, I'm off. Thank me later."

The woman rises then, and Hinata, acting fast, bends the water so that it acts like a wall, separating Tsunade and Naruto. The blond glances at her with a lopsided grin, scooting closer while Neji can't see. Hinata blushes and drops the wall when she hears the door to the changing room slam shut.

"One step closer and I'll look through the water with my Byakugan and announce how small you are." Neji says threateningly, making Naruto freeze in his steps. He turns to the boy with a frown.

"That's sick, Neji."

"If it's what must be done…"

"I mean the fact that you can peek at people! Keep it to yourself because now everyone can guess you've been peeping at Tenten!" the two brunettes blush at Naruto's words, and then Neji huffs. "No way," Naruto says in realization. "Hinata, does that mean you…?"

The girl's eyes widen and she opens her mouth to defend herself, but nothing comes out. Her eyes flick to the greenish water and she lets out a small shudder. "Wait to go, Hinata!" Ino cheers. "Now I wish I had your eyes."

"I've got an idea!" Naruto says. "I'll practice my water bending!"

"That's my cue to leave." Shikamaru says in an idle tone as he climbs out of the bath. Naruto's eyes flick to Hinata to make sure she isn't looking, and when he sees she's still staring at her reflection in embarrassment, he smiles. The two are only six inches apart, close enough for Naruto to lean over and whisper, "Don't be ashamed, Hinata. I think it's hot that you do that." The girl's mysterious eyes widen at his words, and she turns to look at him in shock. "Naruto," she whispers. "I…I don't do that! I mean, maybe once, but…" her eyes dart back to the water, catching a glimpse at her half exposed chest. She squeaks in surprise and sinks deeper into the water, but the swell still juts out like a hill.

Naruto chuckles. "You know, that really turns me on."

"That's it, Naruto," Neji says adversely. "You're…" he chants _Byakugan _and peers under the water's surface, his eyes widening in shock. "Oh wow…"

"What?" Ino asks eagerly.

Neji clears his throat. "Naruto," he says. "If you ever get with my cousin…don't rip her up too bad."

Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten all turn red, but Hinata's the most embarrassed by this statement and thus, faints. Naruto catches her in his arms as a wave of panic washes over him. "Oh, Kami! What do I do?"

"Don't worry about it. That's normal." Neji says. "I think I'll be going now. I don't exactly want to be here for Naruto's bending practice." The boy rises from his spot, streams of glistening water rolling down his chest and legs. Tenten's eyes trail down the length of his body, as if in a trance, and her eyes widen when she reaches a certain area.

"Tenten!" Neji scolds. The girl starts, surprised, and rises automatically. That's when Hinata wakes up, and when she sees Neji's butt, her eyes fall shut again as a cold chill runs down her spine. _Must…not…faint…_

"Um…Neji, would you like to go up to the room?" she asks while clutching his arm. Neji smirks before leading the brunette towards the changing room. Hinata opens her eyes when she hears the door shut, and she and Naruto share a look. Suddenly something brushes against her back and her whole body throbs. She jerks up, scooting away from the blond.

"I'll go too," Ino says as she sends Hinata a knowing look. "I wouldn't wanna leave Shikamaru to laze around by himself." She rolls her jade green eyes before rising from the tub and following the other two out. Naruto and Hinata turn to Sasuke.

"You want me to leave?" Sasuke asks with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes." Naruto says at the same time Hinata says, "No."

The boy gives the two a skeptical look before smirking and sinking deeper into the water. "I'll stay then, for Hinata's sake."

"Hinata," Naruto whispers. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course!" she exclaims.

"Then let this duck-butt go!"

"I can't." she says timidly.

"I bet it's because she's been sneaking peeks at me." Sasuke interrupts with a smirk. Of course he knew she hadn't, but getting on Naruto's nerves was more fun than anything he'd ever done. Plus, Hinata was sort of hot so it really didn't hurt. "In fact, I think we've both been sneaking peeks." He winks at the bluenette, whose face is now growing hotter than the bath water.

"Why you-" Naruto growls.

"Naruto!" Hinata grabs his shoulders just as he dives under the water, pulling the poor girl with him. Sasuke's eyebrows raise to his hairline at the fascinating show before him. Hinata's back and rear end are poking out of the water, with the rest of her concealed over top of Naruto. Sasuke smirks as the slightest of blushes dusts his cheeks, but a sudden brush against someone else's skin alerts him.

"What the hell?" he says as Naruto grabs his foot and pulls the Uchiha under. Naruto and Sasuke wrestle under the water, Hinata clinging onto Naruto's shoulders for dear life until the blond is so light headed that he can't go anymore. He rises to the surface, Hinata still mounted on him. Sasuke rises to the surface as well and the three of them pant. "Are you gay or something?" Sasuke shouts.

"No, but Sasuke, have you ever taken steroids?" Naruto says with a smirk. "Because it sure looked like it-" Hinata cups a hand over Naruto's mouth and motions with her head for Sasuke to leave. The boy grunts but leaves nonetheless, Hinata blushing at the glimpse she catches of the boy.

The two stay like that, Naruto standing in the bath, the water to his waist, with Hinata fully exposed and on his back. Then Naruto's cheeks redden when he feels something soft and round move across his back and he drops into the water, Hinata still clinging to him. The girl starts to climb off but Naruto stops her b placing his hands under her thighs. Hinata freezes, her heart the only thing that seems to be working functionally.

"Hold on," Naruto says. "I…" his voice is rough, as if he's fighting something inside of him, which Hinata figured he most likely was.

"Naruto," Hinata says softly. "I already told you that I can't do things with-"

"And I told you to sleep on it." He interrupts. "I'm not forcing you to do anything."

"Um…yes, you kind of are."

Naruto sweat drops.

"I meant…give me a sec to compose myself, okay?"

"Compose your-oh…" Hinata's cheeks redden for the seventeenth time that day.

Naruto sets her down then and turns away. "Just let me…" he grunts before turning back. His face softens when he looks at her, and a small chuckle escapes his lips. "You're beautiful when you blush."

"Well that's good," Hinata says. "Because I do it a lot."

"I noticed. Didn't you notice how happy I was all day?" Hinata blushes again as Naruto wades closer. "In fact, I'm always happy when I'm near you." He cups her cheek with his hand, and before she can say anything back, he presses his lips against hers.

His cupped hand moves to the back of her head, caressing her silky, wet hair as his other hand places itself on her shoulder. Hinata's arms wrap around his neck as she pushes herself closer to him, her breasts pressing against his perfectly sculpted chest.

Naruto pulls away with a laugh. "Okay, maybe now I'm forcing you." He says.

"No," Hinata says in that soft, angelic voice of hers. She shakes her head as a smile graces her lips. "I…accept."

"You what?" Naruto says with wide eyes. "You mean, you want to go out with me?"

Hinata giggles. "I always have, since I met you." She sighs. "You were my sunshine on a cloudy day. Always so bright, even in a dark situation."

"Well that's nothing compared to you," Naruto says with a tender smile. "You're just… a little slice of Heaven."

Hinata smiles. "Let's get to your bending practice," she says. "Do you want to try again?"

"Yeah, but do we have to open the chakras again?" Naruto says with a whine. Hinata giggles.

"No. You already opened your water chakra. Just work on your bending." She lets out a content sigh. "This temperature is perfect."

"Um, Hinata," Naruto says with a blush. "Maybe you should sit back down." His eyes dart form her eyes to her chest.

Hinata's eyes widen and she crashes into the water hastily, creating a large wave of water that washes over the two's faces. Naruto chuckles, and begins bending the water like Hinata had shown him. A sphere of water forms, but the sizzling won't stop, and as it grows, Hinata backs away. "I've never seen anything like it." Hinata says in awe. Naruto drops the sphere of water, and as it hits the water's surface, a large wave of water splashes Hinata in the face.

"Ouch!" she shouts.

Naruto wades to her as quickly as possible and places a gentle hand over her blistered cheek. "Your chakra," Hinata whispers. "It's different than normal chakra. That must be why…"

Naruto keeps his eyes on her cheek, unable to look her in the eye. "Are you alright?" he asks softly.

"I'm fine. Your chakra combines with the water to form some sort of…scorching water sphere. That could be really useful." Naruto bends down and kisses her blistered cheek. "I just wonder why your chakra is different."

"It's…" Naruto lets his sentence trail off. "I don't know why." And then he helps the girl to stand. "I don't feel like practicing anymore. Let's take care of your cheek."

Hinata twists her lips to the side while eyeing the boy, but once again, he's avoiding her gaze. He takes her hand and leads her to the changing room doors and leads her through. The doors slam shut behind them.

…

"That was some day," Ino says with a content sigh as she sprawls herself out on her bed. She, Shikamaru, and Sasuke were sharing a room while Neji, Tenten, Hinata, and Naruto shared the other. Of course, Naruto wanted to sleep in the same room as Hinata and Neji wanted to keep an eye one him, so that was what ultimately decided the room arrangements.

The blond glances at Sasuke with furrowed eyebrows. "What's wrong, Uchiha?" she asks. "You look a little down."

"It's nothing." He says stubbornly while turning away from her.

Ino pouts. "Oh, come on. We're pretty close. You can tell me anything."

Sasuke sighs. "You and Sakura are friends, right?"

"Yeah," Ino says, surprised by his mention of Sakura. "You already knew that."

"Does she ever talk about me?"

"What? Um…" Ino pinches the cloth of her pajamas and rubs her fingers together. "No, not since you…became _bad._"

"She hates me, right?" Sasuke asks with slouched shoulders.

"No," Ino says. "I mean, I wouldn't know. Why?" she raises her eyebrows quizzically.

"It's nothing." Sasuke says. "And for the record, I didn't go bad, okay?"

"Okay..."

Shikamaru ethers the room then with three boxes of Chinese food balanced in one hand. "I got our favorites from the shop across the street."

"Oh, yum, I miss Fire Nation food!" Ino exclaims while grabbing a box from him.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru offers while holding up his box. "Come on, I know you used to love this stuff."

"You mean before I went bad?" Sasuke asks coldly before exiting the room. Shikamaru turns to Ino who's stuffing orange chicken down her throat.

"What was that all about?"

"Well-"

"I don't care."

Ino face palms.

…

Hinata shifts in her bed so she can face the moon shining down on her and Naruto The blond is asleep, his mouth slack jawed and a snore escaping his lips, a sound so thunderous it's a surprise how it can even escape that tiny hole that is his mouth. His hair is shaggy and framing his sun kissed cheeks; his body is sprawled out in an odd formation, causing him to take up most of the bed.

Hinata smiles to herself and tangles her legs with his, the very act giving her butterflies. The boy shifts in his sleep at the touch, his lips curving into a smile. Hinata presses on, curling herself into half a ball and resting her head on his chest.

_This is how it could be every day. _She thinks happily. Suddenly, the boy shifts even further, curling himself into a ball as well. Hinata backs away slowly and watches as he rests his head on her chest in return. Her eyes widen and a blush spreads across her cheeks.

"Oh…" Naruto nuzzles his cheek against her left breast, his lazy smile widening. "Oh, Naruto…"

**A/N: **Okay, so that's it. This chapter was purposely romantic/humorous because I thought we needed a break from action and stuff. But if you don't like fluff…. Then you'll be happy to know the action will resume in the next chapter -_- Anyway, comment please! Hope you all enjoyed :)


	10. Premonitions and Secrets Revealed

Book One~ Water

Chapter Ten~ Premonitions and Secrets Revealed

**A/N: **Hmmmm crappy title, I know. Anyhow, I really hope you guys are enjoying this! This is the last chapter of Book One. Also, there will be new characters introduced in later chapters, including this one, and bunches of secrets are revealed! So comment :D

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"_This is it, Sir." Someone said in a soft voice. The person handed a man in a red robe a vial. "Will…will we be spared, sir?"_

"_Who cares?!" the man said with a maniacal laugh."Once the world is coated in this new formula I've created, there won't be bending anymore."_

"_But doesn't your plan center around being able to bend, sir?" _

_The man smirks. "It will all work out," he turns to the younger boy with a genuine smile and ruffles his hair. "You've made a wise decision…following my path. Otherwise, you'd end up as the other humans."_

"_Sir…" the eighteen year old boy said in appreciation and awe as he smiled up at his master with starry eyes. "I won't let you down!" _

"_Of course not, pet."_

…

Naruto wakes with a start, a thin sheet of sweat prickling his forehead. Hinata's eyes flutter open at the sudden jerk, and as the blond had shot up in bed, his legs had accidentally clenched Hinata's, bending them in a painful position. Hinata clenches her teeth while looking at the boy in shock. He's panting, gripping at the collar of his shirt.

"Naruto," Hinata says while shutting her eyes tightly. The boy glances at her in question, and when he sees the pained look on her face, he inches toward her.

"What? What's wrong, Hinata?" he asks while cupping her blistered cheek. "Is it your cheek?"

She shakes her head while pointing to their intertwined legs. Naruto's eyes widen and he untangles himself from the heap of limbs. "Sorry," he stutters with a red face. Finally, Hinata takes a breath and looks Naruto closely in the eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks softly. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah," he says quietly. "I saw a man. He was talking to this boy about his plan to take everyone's bending away."

Hinata presses a hand to his back soothingly. "Hey, don't sweat it," she takes a corner of the bed sheets in her hand and pats at his forehead. "Literally. But Naruto, it was just a dream. I have those kinds of dreams all of the time."

"Really?" Naruto says with wide eyes.

"Well, sort of."

"What are they like?"

"Mostly…I dream that someone has defeated me in a battle." She shrugs.

"Yeah, but that's just a normal dream. That's one of your fears-to be beaten in battle. Taking the world's bending away…?" he shakes his head.

"Maybe it's just the pressure of stopping this guy," Hinata suggests. "It could be that you'd want bending to just disappear altogether so that way, you wouldn't have to fight this man. Or learn all five elements and more."

"Thanks, Hinata, for putting my fears right in front of my face."

"Sorry."

Naruto blows out a hot breath and turns his head to the window beside Hinata. It's dark out, but the moon is nowhere to be seen. "It must be really early in the morning." He mutters.

"Let's try to get some sleep then."

Naruto wraps his arms around himself, nodding in agreement. The two curl back underneath the sheets, Hinata taking the liberty of intertwining their legs again and this time, their fingers as well. Naruto falls asleep with a peaceful smile.

…

"Okay, it's time to head back." Ino says cheerfully while knocking on Naruto and Hinata's door. It opens with a creak, and she peeks her head through the large crack. "Guys, wake up! Tsunade is at the front desk waiting for us."

"So she made enough money…" Neji murmurs while sitting up in bed. "What a surprise."

Tenten giggles beside him while eying the boy's hair. It had somehow gotten loose from the low pony tail Neji had put it in last night, and was now cascading down his back with a soft shine. Tenten ran a hand through it, causing Neji to stiffen. "Oh, lighten up. This is nothing compared to last night."

Ino grimaces and takes a step into the hallway. "Wake those two up! I'll be in the lobby." She calls from outside of the room. Tenten crawls out of bed and quietly tip toes to Naruto's side of the bed. "Aw…they're so cute!" she says. "Look, they're holding hands."

Neji's eyebrow twitches.

"Hey, Naruto, Hinata," Tenten calls softly while bending over the blond. "Wake up, sleepy heads. We need to leave soon." She turns around to face Neji. "Speaking of which, where did Kyuubo go?"

All but Neji's heart freezes. "You didn't have him when we reached the hot springs, did you?" he asks slowly.

"Oh no!" she clutches her head in her hands. "Okay, okay…Back track. We rode him to Fire Nation and then we started for the Futters."

"No, we saw Sakura first," Neji says. "Was he with you then?"

Tenten shakes her head in frustration. "I don't remember!"

"Hey, hey," Neji comes closer to the girl who's now ripping out strands of hair in a mental fashion. He places his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye. "It's okay. We'll visit Sakura and see if she happened to see him." Tenten nods.

"What were our names again?" she ponders.

"I'd rather not say…"

…

"We're not leaving?" Ino shouts in disbelief.

"We can't leave without Kyuubo," Tenten says with a frown. She was really starting to despise the blond haired girl. She was bratty, annoying, and had nothing to do but complain.

Ino huffs, crossing her arms in a pout.

"If we stay any longer then we may get caught," Shikamaru says. "And besides, I can't go near Sakura's house."

"Why not?" Naruto asks.

"Because he stole an important scroll from the Hokage of Fire Nation," Neji says. "And that's Sakura's father."

"You stole a scroll from him?" Tenten and Naruto shout in unison.

"SHHHH!" Ino and Neji hush.

"Do you really think he'd recognize you?" Hinata inquires. "I mean, you look nothing like before, other than your hair style."

"Yeah," Ino says. "You should put it down. Then there won't be a chance he'd recognize you!"

"Well, what about you?" Tenten adds. "Your voice is one of a kind," she inwardly smirks because she knows Ino is too "blond" to figure the hidden implication. "Sakura would recognize you."

"Right, but Ino has already spoken with Sakura." Sasuke says through gritted teeth. "You remember? When she humiliated the lot of us?"

"I'd rather not think about it." Neji says while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Guys, we need to find Kyuubo! Shikamaru, put your hair down and Ino, zip you lips." She turns to Sasuke and twists her lips. "I don't think she'd recognize you. If she knew you, that is." Sasuke's frown deepens at the mention of Sakura's knowledge of him.

Tenten knew nothing of his past.

…

"So this is the place?" Naruto says in awe. "Pretty impressive." He turns his gaze to the cherry blossom trees that line the entrance on either side, pink petals riding the wind freely; dark brown mulch dotted with pink, red, and white roses that in the center had blazing lights that resembled the glow of a firefly. The sky and air surrounding them seemed to take on a pinker hue because of all of the petals blowing in the wind. It might have also been the angle of the sun shining down on the courtyard of emerald blades. In the center of the courtyard was a water fountain in the shape of a flame, orangish water spraying from the tips of the "flames."

"Yeah," Hinata agrees. "I've never been to her house. It's amazing."

Suddenly, the large Mahogany doors open and Sakura appears with a surprised expression. She was wearing a red summer dress with gold sandals and bangles. Her whole face lights up, though, a second after the shock wears off. "Guys! What are you doing here?"

"We were hoping you'd found my cat." Tenten says while rubbing her knuckles together nervously. "He's orangish yellow with a brown tail and paws. His eyes are gold and-"

Sakura laughs. "No need for descriptions, Kobi-chan." She cocks her head to the side in a graceful gesture. Her smile widens and the corners of her eyes crinkle. Everyone but Ino sweat drops. "I found your cat last night. But I thought he was just a stray."

"Did you happen to take him in?" Tenten asks hopefully.

"Of course! I wouldn't leave a cat outdoors like that. He looked so hungry." She motions for everyone to come in and shows the group to her kitchen. "So I fed him radishes. He ate them all up!"

Naruto, Hinata, and Tenten share a look of disdain. Then Sakura lifts Kyuubo in her arms and hands him to Tenten, who smothers him in suffocating kisses. "Would you all like to stay for lunch?" she asks.

"Oh sure-" Ino starts, but Shikamaru shoots her a pointed look. She shuts her mouth and steps back in a shy manner, to which Sakura quirks an eyebrow.

"We'd love to," Shikamaru says.

"Wait a sec," Naruto says. "Where's Granny?"

Hinata's eyes widen. "Oh, gosh, did we leave her?"

"No," Sasuke says coolly with his arms crossed over his chest. "She told me she'd get their on her own since we had to find Kyuubo. She said something about having to take care of her village." He shrugs.

"Why'd she tell you and not us?" Naruto shouts while pointing an accusing finger at the boy. Sakura hides a giggle behind her hand, causing Sasuke to turn to her with a soft expression. No one caught it but Hinata, but the corner of his lip turned up in the smallest of smiles. Hinata smiles to herself.

"Alright," Sakura says. "I'll have someone make us some lunch and we can all get to know each other." She turns to Naruto. "I'd love to hear more about you, Naruto."

The boy blushes, causing both Hinata and Sasuke to frown.

Tenten and Ino share a smirk.

"Alright, to the living room," Sakura says with a grin. "Oh, and Kobi-chan, don't let that cat out of your site. He's very curious."

"Trust me, I know." The brunette says with a sweat drop. Then Sakura leads the group into the living room. The walls are painted maroon, the carpet is a dark brownish color that molds to your feet as you step on it; the couches are a dark brown ostrich leather from Earth Kingdom, Sakura tells them, and there are two giant flat screen TVs hanging on either wall. Fire Nation scrolls are hung in various spots on the walls and framed pictures of Sakura ranging from a baby to a teenager, her father on his throne, and her mother and father together.

"You have the nicest house." Tenten compliments.

"Well, thank you." Sakura says. She clasps her hands behind her back shyly and stares at the group of people before her. "Well, take a seat."

Naruto picks a two seater couch and he and Hinata make themselves comfortable, at least, he does. Hinata sits with her hands in her lap, watching Sakura closely. Something was off about the girl. Almost as if she knew something. Naruto whistles beside her. "Why do you need to TVs in the same room?"

"One is for entertainment and the other is a camera." Sakura answers. "On the latter, you can see various parts of my father's kingdom, from his royal meeting room right down to the dungeon. It's very fun to watch sometimes. But then other times…" her eyes fall to her lap. "It's saddening. You never know what kind of torturous things people do until you see it for yourself."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asks.

"I mean, the people in the dungeon… they aren't treated fairly. Even if they did do something wrong or terrible…No one should be treated so badly."

Shikamaru and Sasuke share a look.

Sakura claps her hands together, a fake smile plastered onto her lips. "So let's go around the room and share things about ourselves. I'll go first." Everyone tenses at this. "My name is Sakura Haruno, age eighteen, and I am the Fire Nation princess. I practice medical bending. I'm outgoing and love people." She turns to Naruto. "Your turn."

Naruto swallows nervously. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm the avatar…and I know earth, wind, and some water bending…I like ramen and plants…oh-" he drapes an arm over the blushing Hinata's shoulders. "And my girlfriend, Hinata!"

Sakura raises her eyebrows. "You two are an item now?" she asks.

"Yes…" Hinata says timidly.

"Since when?"

"Last night," Naruto says, beaming. "It was pretty intense."

"Naruto!" Hinata scolds with an even greater blush.

"Okay, moving on," Sakura says with a chuckle. "Hinata?"

"Um, Hinata Hyuga, Princess of water Tribe…"

Tenten, Ino, Sasuke, and Shikamaru's eyes widen at the new information.

"I practice water and medical bending… I like cinnamon and…um…Naruto-kun…" the blond grins childishly beside her.

"Anything else?" Sakura inquires.

"Um…I-"

"She's extremely gorgeous." Naruto cuts in.

Once again, Hinata's blush ripens and she slaps Naruto's arm softly. The boy scratches the back of his head as the girls laugh. "Okay, Kobi-chan?"

Tenten bites back a growl at the extensive use of her new name. "My name is Te-ahem, Kobi-chan and I practice both water and air bending." Sakura's eyes widen. "I like dumplings and animals…And I especially like cats."

"Um, anything useful we should know?" Sakura asks with a laugh. Tenten bites her lip to keep herself from glowering at the pinkette.

"I'm pretty nice unless you tick me off. Then I become a pitiless monster." Neji nods his head silently beside her.

"Okay, Dougu?"

Neji sweat drops as Tenten smirks, happy that she isn't the only one being called a stupid name. But Ino would so get it later. "My name is…Dougu…and I practice both water and dirt bending. I'm quiet and like to be left alone."

"Unless with me." Tenten says suggestively beside him. Neji's eyes widen and Tenten snickers.

"Okay," Sakura says with a slight blush. "How about you, Buta?"

"I…" everyone gives her a wary look. "My name is Buta and I practice metal bending." Sakura's gaze narrows on the blond. "And also, mind control. I'm very sociable and I do not like party poopers."

"Namake?"

Shikamaru lets out a sigh. "My name is Namake and I practice shadow control. I like to sleep and watch the clouds. In peace." He sends Ino a pointed look.

"Right, and…you?" Sakura says, motioning to Sasuke.

"Right, um…" Sasuke cheeks hint a bit of a blush.

_What was my name again…?Shit!_

"Um, my name is…Ahara…" Ino's eyes widen and she sends him a look that says, _WRONG!_ He begins to sweat, glancing nervously to the unfazed Sasuke.

_Good…she doesn't suspect a thing. Phew…_

"I practice…uh, martial arts. I don't bend. And I like to be left alone most of the time." his eyes dart to the floor as soon as the words are out. Sakura sits there quietly for a moment before smiling.

"Awesome. I think it's about time for lunch. Ahara, will you help me?" Sakura says sweetly. Sasuke nods and the two head towards the kitchen.

"That was close," Ino says. "I thought for sure Sakura had seen through him."

"No," Hinata says. "Something is odd about Sakura today."

"I say we turn on the camera." Naruto whispers. The group turns to him with wide eyes.

"We'd get caught. That's stupid." Neji says.

"But don't you wanna know Fire Nation's secrets?"

"We already do." Shikamaru says, motioning to him and Ino.

"But you don't know what goes on down there…In the dungeon."

"Sakura described it pretty gruesomely. I'd rather not." Hinata says. But that doesn't stop Naruto. He switches it on.

…

"So, Ahiru…" Sakura starts while grabbing a silver platter filled with dumplings and rice balls.

"Yes?"

Sasuke narrows her gaze on him and lets the platter fall onto the counter with a clapping sound. She inches towards the boy, Sasuke scooting back with wide eyes. "Uh…what…what…?" His back finds the wall.

"I knew it," she whispers with wide, teary eyes. "Sasuke…?"

Sasuke's cobalt eyes widen to the size of baseballs at Sakura's words. "How…how did you know?" he whispers back.

Sakura presses her palms to his chest. "Who could forget those eyes?" she says softly. "Besides, you're not very good with fake names."

Sasuke lets out a breath. "What? Are you gonna tell your father now?" she shakes her head. "You're…not? But why? I'm a traitor to Fire Nation. I'm a wanted man! I could kill you at any-" Before he can finish his rant, Sakura presses her lips to his, closing her eyes to savor his unique taste. She presses her body closer to his, snaking her arms around his neck. Sasuke lifts a hand and runs his fingers through her soft, choppy mane while his other arm wraps around her waist. A second later, Sakura pulls back, her jade eyes sparkling with longing.

"Do you remember what I told you, Sasuke?" she asks breathily. "Just before you…betrayed the nation?"

Sasuke presses his lips together as the memory floods back to him. And he whispers, "Only every night."

_Flash Back_

"Sasuke-kun!"

Light footsteps padded against the slippery cobblestoned ground. Tiny needles of grey fell from the sky, engulfing the two in a cold rain. Sasuke paused in his stride, letting Sakura have her chance to speak. "Sasuke," she let out a few ragged breaths. "Please…please don't walk away…Please...just tell me you'll stay."

"If I did that…" Sasuke said in his usual monotone. "…Then I would be lying." He resumed walking towards the gates, determination and hatred thundering through Sakura's mind with each step. She shook her head wildly, drops of rain slipping from her hair, and ran up to the boy. Her arms wrapped around his stomach and she pulled him close to her, causing him to stop again.

"I don't care!" she shouted. "I don't care if you killed your entire clan! I love you, Sasuke-kun. Please, don't leave me like this."

"Sakura…" his tone was softer than before. "I want you to know something." He turned to face her, one of his rough, callused hands cupping her soft cheek. "I didn't kill my clan. But I'm going to find the person who did. When I do, I'll take my revenge." Sakura's eyes widened. "Then I'll come back."

Sakura's hand shot up to rest over top of Sasuke's. "You'll…come back for me?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said. "But I won't be able to see you ever again. I'll be lurking in the shadows, watching over you, but we won't see each other. So…as goodbye…" he leaned down and planted a kiss to the young girl's lips. Her eyes widened even further, and in a flash, the boy was gone.

_End Flashback_

"Sasuke…you came back, didn't you? I just never realized it." She turns her gaze to his chest. "Did you find him? The one who killed your clan?"

"Yes." Sasuke says. "But he was already dead when I found him."

Sakura's eyes widen and one of her hands flies to cover her mouth. "Oh…Sasuke!" she buries her head in his chest and the boy lets out a comforted sigh, wrapping his arms around the girl.

"I missed you so much." He says. "I've been watching you."

"Why didn't you come to me?" she asks through the cotton of his shirt.

"I was always there. But I couldn't approach. I'm still a criminal."

"Not to me you're not."

"Sakura…"

"Hm?"

"I don't think…I don't think I can go without you."

"You mean, with Naruto? Are you traveling with him now?" she asks.

"Yes. But I have a favor. A huge one." He cups her cheek. "Will you come with us?"

…

"Oh my Kami, please, Naruto, turn it off!" Hinata whispers loudly, a frightened look in her eyes. Naruto wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls the girl into his chest, eyes locked to the TV. On the screen was a man bound in chains. He was naked, and a very sexy woman stood before him, flashing parts of her body to him. Then she would bend down and taunt his member.

"Naruto, you gay maggot, turn that off!" Tenten hisses while shielding Neji's eyes from the woman.

"Yes, Naruto," Hinata says softly. "I don't like the fact that you're watching her…"

"I'm not watching her," Naruto says trough gritted teeth. "Shit. I can't believe they're doing this to people. I have to stop this."

The camera turns to another prison cell where a man is being stretched so far that parts of him begin to rip apart. A scream starts in Ino's throat, but Shikamaru covers her mouth, as to not alert Sakura. Speaking of which, she was taking quite a long time in there. "Guys, I'm worried about Sasuke. They're not back yet and it's been seven minutes."

"Seven long, tortured minutes." Neji adds.

Just then, Sakura and Sasuke walk into the room. Naruto turns the TV off as quickly as possible, and then turns the other TV on to make it look like they were watching mindless cartoons. But what appears on the screen is not mindless…and it's no comedy either. Everyone's eyes widen as porn pops up on the screen, causing Hinata to squeak in embarrassment. Her cheeks flush crimson as she scrambles to turn the TV off.

"What were you doing?" Sakura shouts accusingly.

"Ahem, watching TV." Naruto says with a blush.

"PORN?"

"Hey, it was on your TV!" Ino points out. "So why was it there in the first place?"

"I…I wouldn't know." Sakura says, flustered.

Ino narrows her gaze. "You're sick!"

Sakura's cheeks flush and without warning, she takes something from behind her back and throws it at Ino. It was a glass of clear liquid, but as it made contact with Ino's head, it began to bubble and the brown die started to face. Tenten's mouth opened into the shape of an "o."

"A-hah!" Sakura shouts. "I knew it was you! Ino, why the hell did you run away?"

"Sakura…" Ino stutters while clutching soggy hair in her hands. "How did you…" she turns to Sasuke accusingly.

"It wasn't me." he says.

"It was my brains," Sakura says. "I knew it from the moment I let you guys in."

"I thought you were acting suspicious." Hinata says.

"I knew you were Sasuke, and you were Ino," she says. Then she turns to Shikamaru. "And I knew about you, too, Shikamaru." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Guys…explain this. Now."

Naruto sighs.

"I'll explain," he says. Everyone takes their seats again and Naruto begins. "From what I know, Shikamaru stole a scroll from your father. He and Ino ran away to Water Tribe to find refuge with Neji, Hinata's cousin." He motioned to the boy with his head. "Sasuke came too, because he was a wanted man and was tired of living on the streets. Anyways, we were in Air Kingdom when our Hokage was taken hostage in Fire Nation.

"All of these guys are wanted, so they went incognito. The rest of us non-fire-nation folk dressed up as Fire Nation commoners to blend in. Then we searched for Tsunade. That's why we lied to you. They're wanted. Please…don't have them arrested. I need them for my training. I need them to defeat that man."

Sakura presses her lips together. "I'm not gonna tell on you," she says with a sigh. "On two conditions. Ino and Shikamaru have to explain themselves…and you have to let me come along."

Hinata's eyes widen.

"And also, what's your name?" she asks while pointing to Tenten.

"Oh, I'm Tenten." She says with a grin.

_FINALLY!_

Sakura bursts out in laughter. "Sheesh, Ino, nice names you picked out!"

The blond sticks her nose up.

"Um, no offense, Sakura," Hinata interrupts. "But, uh…will your father really let you travel with us?"

Sakura shrugs. "Sure he will. I'll tell him it's practice. Now, Ino, Shikamaru." She nods.

Shikamaru sighs. "I wasn't stealing that scroll. Your father really did tell me to get rid of some of the scrolls. But I was curious and started reading it. I didn't want to blood bend on you." He bows his head in shame.

"Wait," Naruto says. "The scroll…was a _blood bending_ scroll?"

"Yeah…"

"But those are illegal!"

"We know," Ino snaps. "So, anyways, I ran away to be with Shikamaru."

"Without…saying goodbye to me or your family?" Sakura asks. Her eyes are glassed over with fresh tears. Ino is about to answer but she doesn't let her. "You could have at least told me! I'm your best friend!"

"Sakura…" Ino says softly. She hadn't realized how much she'd hurt the pinkette.

"Sakura," Naruto says, ripping her gaze away from Ino's. "Are you coming with us?"

"Yes." She says.

"Then we should go."

**A/N: **kay, weak chapter, but we need stepping stones, right? To get us through… Anyway, comment please :D


	11. Book Two: Flaming Hot Trouble

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Eleven~ Flaming Hot Trouble

**A/N: **Hi guys :) I'm SO sorry about the last chapter :( I just feel kinda lazy and meaningless right now so I wasn't in the mood to write a great chapter. I'm selfish, I know. Sorry. Anyway, I hope this chapter can make up for it, but probably not -_- Anyway, comment please :D

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

"Pet, bring me another one of the purple plants in the garden." A man says.

"Yes sir."

The brunette weaves his way through the variety of poisonous plants, concentrating on keeping the contact to the plants a minimum. _He says they won't kill on contact but you can never be too sure._ He thinks while plucking one of the purple plants. Suddenly, he hears a bark and turns around with a wide grin. "Akamaru! Over here, boy!"

The white bear-sized dog rushed to his master, leaping over the garden in the process. The boy grinned while scratching the back of his ear. _At least I have you._ Out of nowhere, the dog whimpers and falls to the floor, his left leg shaking uncontrollably. "Akamaru!" he shouts.

The man in the red robe appears beside the boy with a quizzical expression. The boy turns around to face him, tears pricking in the corner of his eyes. "He stepped on one of the plants! He's sick, sir!" The man examines the dog and then sighs.

"Take him to Water Tribe to have the poison extracted. They have the best medical benders in the world. And while you're there," he hands the boy a list. "I need these plants. Try to hurry, boy. That dog won't make it if you don't."

"What do I ride on?" he asks.

"I'll lend you one of my snakes. Now go. I need those ingredients and he needs a doctor." The boy mounts the snake that the man had just summoned and helps Akamaru onto its back. He clutches the dog's fur in one of his hands while gripping the snake's back for balance as it takes off. "Hurry back!" the man calls after them. "Or else."

…

"What did he say?" Neji asks as Sakura exits her father's study.

"He says he wants to speak with Naruto first," Sakura answers. "He wants to meet the new avatar."

Naruto nods, his determined face already settling into his features. He clenches his fists before opening to door and taking a seat before the Hokage of Fire Nation. Sakura's father raises his eyebrows at the boy. "Wow, you're very…bright." He says.

"Thank you, but being the avatar has nothing to do with brains." Naruto says politely.

"No, I was referring to your features," at Naruto's confused expression, he says, "In other words, you stick out like a sore thumb."

"Oh."

"So you're the one my daughter will be traveling with? Are you prepared to keep her safe?"

"At all costs."

He nods. "And you'll teach her fire bending, correct?"

"Uh…sure?"

"Then we have a deal." The man says, and then rises. Naruto follows suit, still a bit confused. "My daughter's training to become Hokage of Fire Nation starts today." Naruto's eyes widen. "I think I smell an alliance forming." He smiles down at Naruto.

"Oh, uh…yeah…" Naruto says while scratching the back of his neck.

"You're dismissed. Take very good care of my daughter."

"Of course."

Naruto exits the room with a frown.

"So, how did it go? What did he say?" Sakura asks eagerly.

"He said that I was going to help you train…to become Hokage of Fire Nation."

The hallway is silent for a moment.

"Well, it's not like I'm using you or anything," Sakura says. "That was just my excuse to come along with you guys. But I will have to learn fire bending in the process."

"Why, so you can torture more people in the dungeon?" Naruto says angrily.

"What?" Sakura's eyes widen.

Naruto shakes his head. "I won't help a dictator and torturer. I can't help you to become one, anyway."

"But that's my father, Naruto, not me!" Sakura says.

"Yeah, Naruto, get over it," Sasuke adds. "We should be heading back to Air Kingdom now."

"I say we take a vote," Naruto says, ignoring Sasuke. "Who says we bring Sakura with us?"

Sasuke and Ino raise their hands, and Ino nudges Shikamaru, causing him to raise his hand. Ino and Sakura turn to Hinata with a pleading look, and so she caves, raising her hand timidly. Naruto narrows his gaze on her. Tenten raises her hand last, sighing. "What could it hurt?" she mumbles.

"Everyone." Naruto says through gritted teeth before storming out of the house. Hinata shoots Sakura a look that says _one minute,_ and then follows Naruto out of the house. He's walking down the steps, two at a time, when Hinata finally catches up and grabs his wrist. The boy spins around, causing Hinata to lose her balance and stumble forward, a scream escaping her lips at the sudden motion.

Naruto catches her, though, and holds her up in his arms. "Naruto," she says softly. He releases her with a curt breath through his nose. "I thought you liked Sakura. Why are you acting like this?"

She tries to find his gaze but he keeps avoiding her, his eyes darting in every which direction. He presses his lips together. "I did like her. Until I found out what horrible things Fire Nation does to people."

"But that isn't her. Don't stereotype-"

"Why did you take her side instead of mine?" he interrupts angrily. His eyes finally meet hers, and the fierce, livid look in them makes her jerk backward, her heart trembling in her ribcage, as if the very organ was afraid. "You're my girlfriend, Hinata, and I love you. So why wouldn't you take my side in this? Do you not love me back?"

"Naruto…" Hinata breathes as he takes her hands in his and grips them tightly. "When you're in a relationship, you have to be honest and you have to be understanding. I understand what you're feeling, but I won't take your side just because you're my boyfriend. It's wrong. The question is: do you understand?"

Naruto releases her hand and takes a step back, guilt and shame pooling in his eyes. "I…don't understand. I don't understand why you're on her side. Please, explain it to me. I want to know."

Hinata lets out a breath before taking a seat on the marble steps. "I took her side because…she's my friend. But also because she isn't her father. But her father has a big part in this. Sakura is supposed to be the Hokage of Fire Nation when she turns twenty. That's the way it goes. But the thing is, she's afraid of fire."

"A fire bender afraid of fire?" Naruto asks. He takes a seat next to Hinata, placing his hands in his lap.

"She isn't a fire bender. When she was young, her little sister was killed in a fire. Ever since then, her chakra has been blocked and she hasn't been able to fire bend. If she can't fire bend then she can't be the Hokage. She needs to learn it because if she doesn't become the Hokage by twenty, someone else will take her place. It's a man that she's known for three years now. He's crude, aggressive, and a plain out asshole. If you think what her father is doing now is bad then just wait until you meet this guy."

"Wow," Naruto whispers. "I had no idea."

"If you don't want this Nation in turmoil and you want the Fire Nation to have an alliance with the rest of the world then you _have_ to teach Sakura fire bending. It's the only way."

"But she can't," Naruto says softly. "When you're traumatized like that and can't open your chakra…it's hopeless. She doesn't want to, and if she doesn't want to then it won't happen. That's the way bending works."

"Then we need to diminish that fear." Hinata says determinedly.

"Alright," Naruto agrees with a grin. The two stand up, and Naruto blushes. "Hey, sorry about what I said. That was selfish." He takes Hinata's hands again, but this time holds them more gently. "I'll never ask you to do something you don't want to just because we're an item."

Hinata smiles.

"I appreciate that."

…

Sakura's eyebrow twitches.

"You mean…the cat that I had in my _house_…turns into _that_?"

Tenten crosses her arms over her chest with a frown. "I never should have voted yes to her."

Just as the group begins to board Kyuubo, a messenger hawk appears with a small, blue scroll on its back. Neji takes the scroll out of the backpack attacked to the bird's back and his eyes widen. "It's from water Tribe." he says.

"Is it from father?" Hinata asks while making her way towards him.

"Yes. It says there's a patient at the house who needs your medical attention. You're the only one who can heal this patient…?"

"We'd better hurry." Hinata says while boarding the cat. Everyone climbs in and then Kyuubo takes off towards Water Tribe.

…

"Father!" Hinata shouts while bursting through the hospital doors. Hinata's house actually had its own hospital in the back since she was the best medical bender in all of Water Tribe. Patients normally visited her instead of the actual hospital because Hinata healed them for free. "Who is it? What happened?"

Her group of friends burst through the doors of the hospital behind her, startling her father. "Who are these people?" he asks with furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh, well you already know Naruto and Neji," he nods. "This is Sakura, of Fire Nation, Ino, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Tenten." Hiashi still looks confused, but Hinata doesn't waste any time in getting to the patient. "Where are they?" she asks.

"The patient? He's right through these doors." Hiashi says, and motions for them to follow. They follow Hiashi through the halls until they come to a door marked Doubutsu (Animal.)

"An animal?" Tenten inquires. Then she clasps her hands together as her eyes get all sparkly and large. "Oh, Hinata, you're so great!"

"Is it another seal?" Hinata asks.

"No, a dog. All the way from across the country." Hiashi says. Hinata nods while entering through the doors. Hiashi nods his head towards the group of teens, letting them through the doors as well. Inside the room is a large, white dog the size of a bear with a purplish leg lying across a table, and a boy about their age, his face in his hands.

The boy looks up, showing his worried face. He has brown hair, tan skin, and animalistic features, including sharp teeth, narrowed eyes, and red fangs on either cheek. Hinata shakes his hand politely, but he just grabs her wrist tightly and says, "Please help him. He's been infected with poison."

Hinata rips her hand out of his grip and turns to the dog. "I see. What kind of poison?"

"I don't know." He scratches the back of his head.

"Okay. I'll just take it out."

She grabs a vial of bluish water from a shelf and sets it on the table beside the whimpering dog. She hushes him softly while rubbing his fur. "Um, I'm sorry, what's your name?" she inquires.

"Kiba."

"Kiba, could you pet him, please? Just try to calm him down."

He nods while ruffling the dog's fur and scratching in between its ears. Then Hinata takes a knife and makes a small incision on his leg. The dog howls in pain, but Hinata doesn't stop. She takes the water out of the vial and bends it inside of the dog's leg.

He yaps, squirming in place, but Kiba keeps him down for Hinata. When she's sure she has all of the poison out of the leg and inside the water, she bends it out and dumps it into the sink. Then she takes a vial of clear water and, again, bends it inside of the dog's leg.

He calms down, relaxing a bit. Hinata smiles. "What are you doing?" Kiba inquires.

"Well, the blue water attracts poison, so any poison in his system would automatically be sucked into the bubble of water. After I take out the poison, I cleanse it with spiritual water." She explains. Then she bends out the spiritual water and dumps it into the sink. "Naruto, hand me a roll of bandages."

After a second of silence, she turns to the boy in question. His gaze is locked on Kiba, though, and he has a far off look in his eyes. Hinata's brows furrow. "Naruto?" she asks again. Ino sighs and grabs the bandages for Hinata. The girl wraps the dog's leg and smiles. "All better." She says.

"Thanks so much!" Kiba exclaims while embracing the girl in a hug. Naruto rises to his feet, teeth clenched.

"You!" he shouts.

Hinata and Kiba jerk back in shock at Naruto's sudden outburst. The blond takes Kiba's arm and rips it away from Hinata. "Take your hands off of her." He says in a serious tone. The boy backs up with his hands held up in surrender.

"Sorry. Is she taken or something?"

"Naruto," Hinata scolds. "Stop it! He was just happy that I saved his dog's life."

"As happy as a traitor can get." Naruto says.

"What?" Kiba and Hinata say in unison.

"This is the guy from my dream," Naruto says to Hinata. "He works with that man."

Kiba's brows furrow. "What man? You mean my master?"

"Does he wear a red robe and have snake-like features?" Naruto inquires.

"Um…yeah…"

Hinata gasps as Naruto launches himself at the boy, his hands finding Kiba's throat. Hinata bends the water out of the sink and bends it into a rope-like form, looping it around Naruto's stomach and tugging. When that doesn't work, Shikamaru uses shadow control, freezing Naruto in place. Neji uses the opportunity to free Kiba of Naruto's grasp.

He gasps for breath as Naruto's hands loosen the lightest bit. Then he backs away, his eyes wide with rage. "What was that all about?" he shouts. Naruto turns his head a few inches to look the boy in the eyes.

"You…you work for that man!"

"Yeah, so?"

"SO? So, he's trying to take everyone's bending away!"

Kiba's eyes fall to the floor. "I know." He says quietly.

"And you're okay with that?!"

Naruto's eyes have a red hue to them as his pupils dilate like a cat's. He bars his now-sharp teeth at the boy, a growl escaping his lips. "Naruto…?" Hinata says quietly in a state of shock.

Naruto blinks. The room had a fuzzy white hue to it, and his friends were beginning to fade away. _What the hell…?_ "Naruto," a girl's voice says. He looks around, but to no avail. No one is there. "This boy is the key to defeating your enemy. Make nice with him."

A second later, his vision was restored and he could hear Kiba speaking.

"I'm not okay with it," Kiba says. "But it's the only way I could keep my bending and my life. When I was young, my parents were killed by Fire Benders. That man, my master, took me and my best friend, Akamaru-" he nods towards the dog. "-In. He told me that if I worked for him, he'd keep me alive and well." He shakes his head. "It's all I had."

Naruto was nonplussed. What had just happened to him? Whose voice was that just now? He ignored the racing in his chest and focused on the boy. "You're older now!" Naruto shouts. "You can go out on your own. You won't die!" The cat-like look in his eyes vanishes and the normal sparkle in his blue eyes returns.

"No, I can't. The man…he has my heart."

Everyone's eyes widen.

"Then that means you're a…a puppet too." Tenten whispers.

"Yes, but I'm not like the rest. I'm allowed to live freely. I mean, as free as a prisoner is. He doesn't make me go off and kill. He lets me live a normal life with him. I garden and help him create new formulas." He shrugs. "That's about it."

Naruto's expression softens and Shikamaru releases the jutsu. Neji steps back.

"Come with us, then." He says. Kiba's eyes widen.

"Are you kidding?" Ino says. "That man has his heart. He could kill Kiba at any moment."

"Then we'll just have to go and retrieve his heart." Naruto says. "Looks like we're making a house call."

…

"Where is your house located?" Tenten asks, still a bit unsure about the whole plan.

"In the Land of Poison." Kiba says.

"I've never been there or anything, but I hear it's really dangerous," Tenten says, growing wearier by the minute. "You know? Poisonous plants and snakes…is it safe?"

"I know all about the land. I'll get us in and out without any complications." He turns to Naruto. "How are you gonna get my heart back?"

Naruto gives a sheepish laugh and turns to the glaring Shikamaru for help. He rolls his eyes. "Ino will use mind control on him to find where he keeps the hearts. Then she'll give Hinata your heart and she'll insert it back into your chest." Hinata and Kiba both grimace. "Then we'll make a run for it and Ino will transfer back."

"But he'll know we took it." Kiba argues.

"It'll be fine. I promise." Naruto says.

Sasuke sits with his head in between his knees, pondering.

_No one would know…and it would be just like old time… _he thinks.

They arrive in the Land of Poison and Kyuubo begins to land. "Wait, where should Kyuubo land?" Tenten asks worriedly.

"On the trees' canopy. It's safest." Kiba says. Tenten nods and places a hand to Kyuubo's gums, repeating Kiba's words. After a second, the vibrations that are normally present when Kyuubo is moving stops and the teens climb out.

"I'll show you to our hideout." Kiba says. And then they start off in the direction of the hideout, stepping over various plants and avoiding large, glossy spider webs. After about ten minutes of hiking through the forest, Kiba stops. Everyone follows suit and their gazes shift to the direction Kiba is pointing in.

"That cave?" Naruto asks. Kiba nods.

"Okay," Ino says. "Someone get him out here."

Kiba steps forward and calls Akamaru to follow. "Master," he calls. "I've returned. Akamaru is going to be okay!"

The man appears at the mouth of the cave with a frown. "And where are my plants, pet?" he asks.

"Oh…um…"

At that moment, the man's gaze shifts to the group of teens behind Kiba and his frown deepens. "You betrayed me, pet." He spits.

Ino put her hands together then, and mumbled, "Mind transfer!" Her body fell limp in Shikamaru's arms and the man at the mouth of the cave stepped into the light. "Do you know where he keeps the hearts?" she asks Kiba.

"No. But it must be somewhere in there."

She nods and starts inside, Sasuke following after her.

"Sasuke, where are you going?" Sakura shouts after him.

"I'm going as backup, just in case!" he calls over his shoulder.

Sakura nods to herself as he disappears into the cave, but Naruto knew better.

…

Ino and Sasuke walk around the entire cave, searching in candle lit rooms and peering into cracks in the cave walls. Suddenly, Sasuke stops, peering into one of the cracks. "This is it." He says, and slips his fingers in the small space. He pulls towards himself and the wall begins to move. Ino stands closer to him, watching as the cave wall opens, leading to another candle lit room.

Sasuke and Ino enter, their eyes roaming the shelves of organs. "These look like hearts." Ino says.

"How would you know?" Sasuke asks.

"Because I watch Sakura practice all of the time. These are definitely hearts. Now which one is Kiba's?" she searches the shelf and finds one labeled _pet._ "This must be it." She murmurs while grabbing the jar.

Sasuke in the other hand was paying the girl no mind as he searched frantically for the names of Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin. When he found them, he grabbed the jars and slid them beneath his shirt. Ino turns to him then with wide eyes. "Sasuke…when did you grow boobs?" she asks in horror.

Sasuke's face reddens but he ignores her, turning on his heel and making his way to the door. "Shut up." He says. Ino rolls her eyes before tossing him Kiba's jarred heart and then nods her head. As Sasuke makes it out of the cave, Ino stirs in Shikamaru's arms.

"We don't have much time," Shikamaru says "He'll realize what happened any moment now. Let's go!"

The group sprints through the forest and stops at the tree in which Kyuubo is rested on. Tenten whistles, alerting the kitten. He flies down, scoops them up on his back, and flies out of sight. When they're miles away from the hideout, Kyuubo lands, at Tenten's command, and they all climb inside of his mouth.

"That was…so scary." Hinata squeaks.

"That was exhilarating!" Naruto shouts in enthusiasm.

"Hand it over." Kiba says to Sasuke as soon as they're all seated on a tooth. The boy grunts but tosses it to him, nonetheless. "Okay, Hinata, let's do this."

"Not here," Hinata says with the shake of her head. "I need to be in a medical center with all of the right tools. Tenten, can we go back to water Tribe? It'll only take a day."

"Sure," The brunette says with a small smile.

"I'm glad I met you guys." Kiba whispers. "And Naruto…thank you."

The blond smiles warmly at the brunette.

"As long as you keep your paws off of Hinata, we're all good, bro."

…

"That damned boy," the man in the maroon clock mutters to himself. "I can't believe I trusted such a worthless pile of shit." He turns to his shelf of organs and narrows his gaze. "Those three are gone too? Must have been the Uchiha brat." He smirks. "I guess I could use this to my advantage."

….

It was three in the morning and everyone was asleep. Although no one favored the idea of sleeping in a cat's mouth, they couldn't refuse. It was late and the ride back to Water Tribe was long. So there the nine teenagers lay, some asleep, and others…not so much.

Naruto shifts in his spot, turning to see Hinata curled up in a ball, her head on his chest. The collar of her shirt was hanging low and Naruto could catch a glimpse of her breasts. He honestly did favor them over anyone else's.

He turns away before a nosebleed can occur, watching Sasuke lie on the ground between Sakura and Neji. His back was turned to Naruto, but the blond could tell he wasn't asleep. His chest wasn't rising and falling in the way an unconscious person's chest did. He carefully slips out of Hinata's small embrace in which her arms were lying idly against his pelvis, and crawls towards the dark haired boy.

When Sasuke hears someone shuffling about, he turns to find Naruto crawling his way. His lips pucker up and his eyes widen at the boy's antics. "Naruto," he hisses. "What are you doing?"

The blond crawls overtop of Neji, never once waking him, and then squeezes in between Sasuke and the stoic Hyuga who's now cuddling closer with Tenten. Naruto grins. If only he had a camera.

He turns back to Sasuke and frowns. "I know what you did." He whispers. Sasuke's gaze narrows. "I know you took the hearts of your three friends. The ones who were trying to kill us the other day."

Sasuke turns away. "How did you know?" he asks, annoyed that Naruto noticed when no one else had.

"Because I would have done the same."

Sasuke turned back to face him. "So then you aren't mad I took them?"

"No."

"Then why are you over here, idiot?"

"Because I wanted to demonstrate my knowledge." Naruto says with a cocky grin. Sasuke slaps him over the head. "Ow…"

"Look, Naruto, you can't let anyone. Deal?"

Naruto looks down at the pinky Sasuke holds out for him, and he smiles, grasping Sasuke's pinky with his own. "Deal. But one thing…You're gonna have to ask Hinata to put their hearts back into their bodies. You do know that, right?"

Sasuke chews at his cheek. "I guess so…"

"Okay. Then I can tell her?"

"No!" Naruto blinks, surprised. "I mean…let me."

"Okay."

After an awkward silence, Naruto begins to wiggle out of the small space he was wedged in and crawls back to Hinata. But as he does so, he hears Tenten moan in her sleep and turns to the brunette. His eyes widen when he sees Neji's middle pressed up against hers.

_Dammit. I'm asking for a camera for my birthday!_

**A/N: **Okay so I hope that wasn't too bad. I knew I wanted to introduce Kiba and I knew I wanted them to venture to the Land of Poison. Then the whole, "Naraku has my brother's heart!" thing from Inuyasha got me and I grinned evilly, thus, creating this chapter. So I hope you all enjoyed it. Please comment :) That's all I ask -_-


	12. Sorrow and Shock

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Twelve~ Sorrow and Shock

**A/N: ** So I'm pretty pissed because FF won't let me express myself in writing a story of Naruto and Hinata chatting on an online chat. Apparently, you're only allowed to express yourself in one way, and that's typing in the proper paragraph-by-paragraph format. So anyway, I hope you all enjoy this sad, miserable, and exciting chapter. Comment, please.

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

A man in a crimson coat sat hunched over his desk, multitudes of potions sitting before him. His eyes wandered the pages of his notebook furiously as he searched for the right formula. "If I just add this to one of the jars…" he mumbled while thumbing through his worn out notebook. "Ah, there it is."

A wicked smile etched onto his lips as he crossed the room and added the reddish brown liquid to one of the jars of organs. Suddenly, all of the jars in the room began to sizzle, as if a chain reaction of dominos had occurred. The room was filled with a brown mist but even through the fog, you could see the man's gleaming green eyes. "That should teach you, pet. And you also, Sasuke Uchiha."

He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, three of his puppets appeared before him. Karin crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at the floor, as Suigetsu, still grumpy from Sasuke's betrayal of their friendship, and Jugo stood there quietly.

"You three have another mission. I need you to retrieve Sasuke."

"We already tried that," Suigetsu said sourly. "He's too far gone. He doesn't remember the little people anymore."

"Poor thing. You don't understand that the little people are the benders. You three, my puppets, are the bigger people."

Karin snorted. "Um, yeah, like, who wants to be _bigger_?"

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "You do, little miss flat chest."

Karin shot him a death glare through the rims of her glasses. The man in the cloak frowned. "Enough," he said, drawing the two's attention back to him. "It's alright. This time, I have a fool proof plan. Suigetsu, Sasuke is going to try and do something to you."

"What?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"He's going to try and bring you back to life." The man said with a grin. The three stared at him in shock. "I don't want you to stop him. Let him place your heart back into your chest. Then Karin and Jugo, you retrieve Sasuke when you have the chance."

"I don't understand." Jugo said quietly.

"Don't worry," he pushed his glasses up the bride of his nose. "You will."

…

It was a chain reaction, almost like dominos. It started with Naruto and ended with Ino. It was the cursed stomach growls that woke everyone up so early that morning, besides Neji and Tenten's moans. Naruto was the first to shout, "Shut the alarm off!" And when the growling continued, he'd smacked Hinata in the chest. Her eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets at the sudden contact, causing her to scream in surprise.

That was what woke Naruto up…fully.

The blond peers at his girlfriend with wide, terrified eyes as she looms over him. "I-I'm sorry, Hinata! You know I'd never purposely touch your-I mean, I'd never_ hurt_ them. I'd touch them but-"

He's interrupted as Neji crawls to his side and whacks him upside the head. Naruto clutches his golden locks in one hand and shakes a fist at the Hyuga with the other. "What was that for?" he shouts.

"You know what it was for, idiot." Neji says, and looks up at Hinata who's clutching her chest, a red hue dusting her cheeks. "You alright, Hinata?" she nods her head.

"Gosh, Naruto, you moron! Don't you know that hitting a girl's chest too hard will result in breast cancer?" Ino adds with a scowl.

"It will?!" Naruto and Hinata shout in unison.

"No!" Naruto screams while climbing to his feet and cupping Hinata's breasts in his hands. "I'm sorry! Please, don't die on me! I don't want you guys to get cut off!"

"Naruto is such a moron." Tenten mutters with the roll of her eyes.

"Is he always like this?" Sakura whispers to Sasuke, who nods with a smirk.

Hinata's cheeks redden tenfold as her eyes roam the group of faces that watch her and Naruto with smirks. She places her hands on the blond's shoulders and pries him off of her ever so gently. "It's okay Naruto," she says softly. "I forgive you."

The boy retracts with a relived sigh. "Thank goodness. I wouldn't want you to be mad at me over another breast-related incident." Hinata's eyes widen at the stern look Neji gives her. Naruto turns around, sensing Hinata's hesitation, and rolls his eyes. "Oh, lighten up. I heard and saw what you were doing last night."

Neji and Tenten's cheeks both light up at Naruto's statement.

"Are we there yet?" Ino wails. "I'm starving!"

"What a drag," Shikamaru says. "To think you all woke me up from my sleep."

"Oh, hush!" Ino scolds.

"Hey, Hinata, can we grab breakfast at your place?" Tenten inquires, now over her embarrassment.

"Sure."

"You guys sure are fussy." Kiba says. Everyone turns to the boy, startled by his voice. It was almost as if he wasn't even there. Kiba is lying on his side with Akamaru as his pillow, though the dog doesn't seem to mind. Akamaru, in fact, is still asleep.

"Get used to it, if you wanna stay with us." Naruto says, earning shocked looks from everyone.

"Stay with you?" Kiba reiterates.

"Yeah. What kind of bending do you know?"

"None."

Everyone drops to the floor anime-style.

"So then, what are your talents?" Sakura inquires.

"I can plant-"

Hinata and Naruto share a sly smile.

"-And I can make medicines."

"That's great!" Hinata exclaims. "I could sure you use around." She gives him a warm smile.

"Thanks. And I know tae kwon do, too."

"So Naruto, why do you want Kiba to come along with us?" Tenten asks. "I mean, not that I don't want you to!" she corrects while turning to Kiba.

"No worries."

"I think he belongs in our group, to tell you the truth." Naruto says.

"You do? But I thought you hated him." Sasuke asks with an arched eyebrow.

"I have to admit…I didn't like him at first. But mostly, it was because of that dream I'd had."

"And the fact that he was touching your lady." Sasuke adds.

"You know," Kiba says with a smirk. "Hinata's gonna be _inside me_ when she operates on my heart."

Naruto growls.

"That isn't even the right way!" he shouts as Hinata presses a hand to his shoulder to calm him down.

"Then what is?" Kiba's smirk grows.

"You little-"

Suddenly, the walls begin to vibrate, and everyone yelps in surprise. "Tenten," Ino says worriedly. "Is this normal?"

Kyuubo's body rocks back and forth raggedly, as if they were on a boat in the middle of a storm.

"I don't think so." Tenten calls back.

Kyuubo's tongue, which Hinata and Naruto are lying on, lifts up, taking the two with it. "Naruto! Hinata!" Sakura and Tenten say in unison. The two cling to the scales of his tongue, treating the matter like rock climbing, when a spray of saliva coats their backs.

"AW, WHAT?!" Naruto shouts.

Kyuubo's mouth opens then, and Ino stumbles to the very edge, about to fall out when Shikamaru reaches for her hand and pulls her back in. The two cocoon themselves between Kyuubo's front teeth and bottom lip where nothing can harm them.

"What's going on?" Neji shouts as he grabs Tenten's waist and pulls her into him. He grabs onto one of Kyuubo's canine teeth and wraps his arms around it, Tenten following suit, only with his chest.

"I don't know. He's hissing at something."

Kyuubo's tongue begins to vibrate uncontrollably, shaking Naruto and Hinata up and down. Hinata screams as a thunderous growl fills the air. In all of the chaos, the two lose their footing and are sent down the black abyss that is Kyuubo's throat. The two grab for each other's hands and lace their fingers together just as they're swallowed whole.

"NARUTO! HINATA!"

…

"Come on, kitty, place nice." Karin coos while rubbing Kyuubo's nose. "Open up!"

Kyuubo relishes in the attention and leans into her touch. Suigetsu rolls his eyes. "You're doing it all wrong! You have to get him to open his damn mouth."

"I am. You can't just pry it open." Karin retorts with her hands on her hips.

"Karin is right," Jugo says from behind. "Let nature take its course."

"Let nature-" Suigetsu shakes his head in disbelief. "Jugo, we're not interrupting its sexual intercourse! I just want him to open his mouth!"

"Sounds like sexual intercourse to me." Karin says with a smirk.

"Shut up, you little wench!" Suigetsu shouts. He moves to Kyuubo's side and slips his hands in between the cat's gums, taking a hold of its teeth and pulling upwards. Kyuubo hisses at the boy, opening his mouth slightly and spraying him with saliva. Suigetsu closes his eyes and turns his head.

"Dumb cat." He mutters as Karin snickers behind him. Sending her a scowl, he turns back to the cat and tries again. This time, Kyuubo growls at him, reaching a claw out to push Suigetsu away. But as the cat opens his mouth, Suigetsu takes his chance to climb in. Karin and Jugo blink as he disappears into the cat's mouth and its claw comes crashing into the two, knocking them to the ground.

"Damn him!"

…

Hinata closes her eyes as she and Naruto fall deep into Kyuubo's throat, fingers laced together. Naruto pulls Hinata into his chest and wraps both arms around her as they near the ground. He turns so that his back is facing forward, and then they land, bouncing up from the force. Naruto lets out a breath of air as it's knocked out of him.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Hinata asks worriedly. All he can do is nod as they land back onto the gummy ground. He releases her and opens his eyes, taking a few shallow breaths. "No, seriously, are you okay?" Hinata asks while crawling to sit up. She places a hand on Naruto's chest, her eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine." He says hoarsely. Hinata quirks an eyebrow.

All of a sudden, the two are hit with a large gust of rotten-smelling air, and they fly up, Hinata holding down her skirt, even though there are shorts underneath, as her hair flies into her face. Naruto closes his eyes as he tries not to gag, imagining himself in a hot, steamy bathroom with Hinata and vanilla and rose scented candles littering the place. But then the candles take on an awful stench and he's hurled back into reality.

"We're in his chest!" Hinata shouts as they land back down. "Those are his lungs over there." She points to a very large organ.

"Kami, remind me to never, _ever, ever_ feed him radishes." Naruto says while pinching his nose shut.

"Naruto, that has nothing to do with the lungs." Hinata says while looking into the distance. "But let's hope we don't end up where that does have to do with radishes."

"I think I'm fine with his mouth right about now."

Naruto and Hinata climb to their feet and latch onto the side of Kyuubo's throat as another rush of air blows over them. "Naruto," Hinata says suddenly. "Can't you bend us out of here?"

"Sure, but won't that hurt him?"

Hinata shakes her head. "We'll ride the air that he breathes up to his mouth."

"But we didn't get very far up that last time." Naruto says.

"That's why you can bend us the rest of the way."

"Well," Naruto says while tilting his head up. "It's worth a shot."

…

Sakura's scream could be heard from a thirty-mile radius as Kyuubo's breath sweeps her off of her feet and towards the opening of his mouth. Sasuke outstretches his arm towards her and grasps her wrist. "Sasuke," someone says. Sasuke's eyes widen and he releases Sakura, who flies towards Kyuubo's mouth. Ino reaches up and catches her.

Sasuke turns to the source of the noise, his eyes widening to dinner plates. "Suigetsu?" he says. "How did you get in here?"

The boy shrugs. "I have my ways."

"Are you the cause of this?" Tenten shouts.

Suigetsu, however, ignores her question and keeps his eyes trained on Sasuke. Sasuke's mind is racing throughout the whole thirty seconds that they stand there, but it feels more like hours. His hands tremble, eyes dart, skin sweats. _The jar…_

"Sasuke," Suigetsu starts while taking a step nearer. Sasuke blinks but his gaze is unfocused. Everything is turning. "I want to be human again. I want to be your best friend again." Sasuke's eyes widen. "Can you help me?"

Before he can even think, which was most likely impossible with how much his brain was shaking inside of his skull, he lunges for the jar of hearts where he's stored in his satchel of belongings. He reaches for the one labeled _Suigetsu_ and retrieves it, holding it in the air for everyone to see. Sakura gasps.

"Sasuke…did you steal those?" she inquires with a shaky, unbelieving voice.

But Sasuke pays no mind to her. He stumbles towards Suigetsu and thrusts the jar into his arms. "I have it. I have your heart," he says in a crazed tone. Suigetsu eyes him warily, unsure if he should take the jar or try to calm his friend down. He takes the jar. "We can be friends again…if you just place your heart back in your chest."

"Sasuke…you stole this for me?" Suigetsu asks in disbelief. His eyes begin to prick with tears.

"I have Karin and Jugo's hearts too."

Suigetsu holds the jar with trembling hands, looking down at it in disgust. _So that's my heart…Gross…_ Sasuke watches him closely, his body shaking with both fear, excitement, and adrenaline. His eyes flicker from Suigetsu's confused face to the jar in his hands. "Well?" he says. Suigetsu looks up at him with a worried expression. _He looks crazed…Rabid, almost._

The boy is just about to set the jar down and try to help Sasuke out of his crazed state when Sasuke grunts and snatches the jar back. "Fine," he says. "I'll do it!"

"Sasuke," Shikamaru shouts in protest, but he won't have it. He isn't listening to anyone, not even himself. "This is wrong! If you shove his heart back into him, who knows what'll happen!"

"It has to be done in an enclosed medical environment." Sakura adds. "Please, Sasuke!" her eyes widen as he unscrews the jar and reaches his hand into the greenish liquid. The heart throbs in his hand.

"SASUKE!"

The boy freezes, rotten, slimy liquid dripping from his fingers. His head turns ever so slightly with shaky, jerky movements. He looks demon possessed as he stares down Naruto, who's holding Hinata to his chest, hanging onto Kyuubo's uvula. Naruto's sapphire eyes narrow on Sasuke's coal black pits. "Sasuke, don't you dare." He says in a threatening, rough voice.

Sasuke smirks. "Oh yeah?" he says as he tilts his head upwards. And then, quick as lighting, he punches Suigetsu in the chest so hard that he breaks through the rib cage. Suigetsu's eyes widen at the sudden contact and a stream of blood runs down from his lip. Sasuke places the heart into the boy's chest and retracts his hand, watching as Suigetsu's pupils shake uncontrollably.

Sakura's breath hitches and she falls to her knees, Ino catching her before she can land on her face. Hinata gasps and shields her eyes from the scene in Naruto's chest. The blond's eyes widen. His teeth gnash together with so much pressure that the edges grind to dust. He clenches his fists. "Sasu-!"

He can't finish, though, because right then, Suigetsu drops to his knees and his hands land on the ground between Sasuke's feet, shaking with the effort to keep him up. He inhales deeply, wheezing. "Sasu…ke…"

Sasuke's eyes widen but he doesn't look at Suigetsu. His eyes are trained on the wall of Kyuubo's gums in front of him. The white haired boy clutches one of Sasuke's ankles while spitting up a good amount of blood.

Everyone watches in disbelief as the boy finally falls to the ground, curling into a ball, and shrivels into just the skin of a snake.

And then Kyuubo throws up.

…

"Suigetsu, that bastard." Karin curses. "I wanted to see Sasuke too."

"We all did." Jugo says quietly.

"And then he left us to take the fall. Literally."

Suddenly, Kyuubo's stomach makes an odd gurgling sound and Karin furrows her brows at the cat. "Hey, is he-?" But before she can finish her sentence, Kyuubo opens his mouth and a vast amount of orange liquid spills from his lips, along with twelve people. Karin's eyes widen as the liquid pours over her head, washing her away with the rest of the teens. Jugo manages to escape, though, sensing Kyuubo's hurting stomach. _Dammit…_ Karin inwardly whines.

…

As soon as the wave of vomit settles, Sasuke lifts himself from the muck and searches frantically for his friend, digging through the mush. Naruto and Hinata lift their heads from under the surface, gasping for breath. "I think…I'm going to throw up." Naruto says quietly.

"Me too."

"Suigetsu!" Sasuke shouts while pulling him onto his lap. Everyone turns to the two boys, including Karin and Jugo. Karin's eyes widen when she sees Suigetsu's state. She hollers his name while wading through the vomit enveloping the group. She lands beside Sasuke.

"What happened?" she asks softly while taking off her smeared glasses. She blinks a few times before turning to Sasuke for an answer.

"I…"

"Dammit," she curses as tears fall from her eyes. "He knew this would happen! He planned it from the star-ar-art!" her voice breaks at the very end as sobs replace her words. "Suigetsu!" she leans over his shriveled skin and places a hand over top of it.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke says brokenly. "I had no idea."

"I know," she wipes the tears from her eyes, smearing even more vomit across her face. "But _he _did."

"Suigetsu?"

Karin shakes her head.

"Our master."

"Karin," Jugo calls from above the group of people. He gives her a pointed look, to which she shakes her head.

"I can't." she whispers. "I can't!"

Jugo frowns and lands beside Sasuke. "I'm sorry," he says, and knocks the boy out. Everyone's eyes widen as he scoops Sasuke in his arms and stands up. "Karin," he says. "Grab Suigetsu. We're leaving." Karin sniffs up her tears and grabs the skin.

"Hey!" Naruto shouts while wading through the vomit. "Hey, stop right there!" Jugo and Karin turn to the blond, Karin's eyes showing nothing but hatred and sorrow while Jugo's show absolutely nothing. His face is a mask. "Where do you think you're taking my friend?"

"He's our friend!" Karin shouts back.

"He's coming with us. It's none of your business." Jugo adds.

"Like hell, it isn't!" Naruto screams. And without even thinking, he begins to bend the vomit. "I'll never let you take him. Not even over my dead body! Wanna know why?" he growls. "Because even when I'm dead, you'll never have him! He's not yours!"

A large sphere of sizzling, bubbling vomit rises in the air, and everyone takes a step back, their eyes widening at the sight. Naruto's whisker marks begin to grow darker and his eyes take on the same red hue they had the other day. The pupils dilate into just thin lines. Two fangs appear from behind his upper lip. Hinata shakes with fear.

"Naruto…?" she says softly. "What's happening to you…?"

Naruto ignores her question and takes a step forward, the ball of vomit following suit. "You'll never have him!" he shouts before letting the ball drop over top of Karin and Jugo. "Sasuke!" Sakura shouts as the vomit explodes. The pinkette reaches a hand out, her mouth open, but no scream comes out. Not even a breath.

Shikamaru grabs the girl's hand and with Ino on his other side, ducks for cover. Neji and Tenten are already hiding behind Kyuubo; Akamaru and Kiba are still safely cocooned in the cat's rotten mouth; Hinata grabs Naruto by the shirt and pulls him back, but instead of turning around and shielding her, her lets out a growl. Her lips thin into a line and she pulls harder. Naruto stumbles back, his growling getting louder, but Hinata ignores him.

She pulls the boy into her chest and wraps her arms around him so tightly that his face is pressed between her breasts. She closes her eyes and places her chin on top of Narutos head. And then the searing vomit washes over them.

…

After ten minutes of silence, Hinata opens her eyes. Her cheeks are flaring, burning like the night Naruto accidentally bended hot water in her face. She releases Naruto enough to see that his face has gone back to normal. She breathes a sigh of relief, which alerts Naruto. His eyes open slowly, and after a second of contemplating what had just happened, he gasps.

"Hinata," he says while straightening his back so he's a head taller than her. "What did I do…?" he cups her cheeks with both of his hands, causing her to wince. He begins to tremble. "I…I'm a…"

Hinata places her hands over top of his and hushes him. "Go to Sasuke." She whispers. Naruto searches her eyes but finds nothing else but genuine concern for him. He nods before dashing to the place he let the bomb of vomit drop. He begins to dig, his hands blistering from the bubbling liquid, but he doesn't stop until he finds the boy's bluish black spikes of hair.

He reaches into the vomit and pulls Sasuke out, resting the boy's head on his chest as he drags him towards Hinata. Sakura rips her hand from Shikamaru's grip and sprints to the unconscious boy whose head now lies on Naruto's lap. Tears falls from her emerald eyes, washing the vomit from Sasuke's burnt face, as she leans over his body.

"Sasuke…?" she whispers.

"We need to go." Tenten says as she and Neji rush to their side. "Come on. Those guys will wake up any moment. Let's go!"

Tenten motions for Shikamaru and Ino to head back to Kyuubo before grabbing Sakura's hand and helping her up. "Don't worry," she says gently. "With Hinata's and your medical bending, he'll be just fine. Come on." She drags Sakura back to Kyuubo, Neji following suit, leaving Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke.

"Come on." Neji shouts from Kyuubo's open mouth. Hinata turns to Naruto, whose eyes are pooling with tears.

"You saved him, love," Hinata says, startling Naruto with the nickname. He turns to meet her gaze. "I'll do everything in my power to heal him. Now come on." She reaches out her hand to him, and he takes it. Then the two grab Sasuke and haul him onto Kyuubo. The group heads back to Water Tribe.

…

As they walk down the streets of Water Tribe, people give the group horrified and revolted looks. "We must really look bad." Ino says.

"Yeah, that's it." Tenten says sarcastically.

They near Hinata's house, Sasuke being carried by both Naruto and Sakura. Hinata knocks on the door and her father opens it. His eyes tear up when the stench hits his nose and he turns away, plugging his nostrils. "What on Earth…?"

"There was an accident." Hinata says. "We need to bring Sasuke in now."

Hiashi nods and lets the group in. "Can you bathe first?" he asks.

"No, father," Hinata says, annoyed. "But I swear I'll bathe as soon as I'm finished with him."

Hiashi gives her a disdainful look, which Neji catches. "How about the rest of us bathe while Hinata works on Sasuke?" he suggests.

"Good idea." Ino says.

"No," everyone turns to Sakura. "I'm not leaving him."

"Okay," Hinata sighs. "The rest of you go. Neji, show them to the bath house."

Hinata turns to Naruto and motions with her head to follow the rest of them. He frowns, but hands Sasuke over to her nonetheless. With a parting glance, he follows the others down the hall. Hiashi makes a grunting noise before leaving as well. Hinata and Sakura turn to each other.

"Let's go."

**A/N: **So, I've been having writer's block, which is probably why my writing style wasn't in this story today. While I read it over, I think it sounded like someone else had written it. Okay, well, I hope you guys enjoyed, either way :D Comment please!


	13. Sasuke's Tears and Hinata's Questions

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Thirteen~ Sasuke's Tears and Hinata's Questions

**A/N: **Hmmm… Odd title, yup, yup, yup! Anyways, I hope you guys really enjoy this story because honestly, when I thought up the idea, I was like, "Woah, I'm so smart!" And, haha, so conceited XD- I honestly thought I'd have a lot of viewers. And I guess I do, just not as many as I wanted. Anyway, comment and enjoy!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

The bath house was a lot more extravagant than the Futter Springs. The floors looked crystalline, sparkling as if it were ice, and you could see your own reflection in it. The bath was made of the same kind of material, and under one's touch, it was smooth and slippery. The water was hot, surprisingly, even though it was a bath house. Assuming the water would be cold because they were in Water Tribe was such a stereotype.

There were bottles on the sides of the tub filled with different scents and crystals and there were even shelves filled with medical soaps. Ino grabs a bottle of strawberry scented shampoo and begins to scrub her hair, letting out a moan. "Oh, I haven't done this in a while."

"We noticed." Tenten says with a smirk. But Ino ignores her, instead deciding to relish in the feeling of such luxury. She opens her eyes as an idea pops into her head.

"Shikamaru," she calls. "Come wash my hair for me!"

The boy gives her a blank look, but her smile is persistent and she waves him over frantically. Finally, he complies and wades towards her silky, blond hair. "You can take your contacts out now." He says as he massages her scalp. "I already took mine out."

"Do you think Hinata has any hair dye remover in here?" Ino asks. "Because no offense but blond isn't exactly flattering on you."

Shikamaru sighs. "What a drag."

Naruto sits by himself in one of the corners of the tub. His eyes are downcast, staring blankly into the orangish water. Kiba wades towards him with a small, worried frown. "Hey," he says while settling in next to him. Naruto doesn't say anything. He doesn't look up. "Does Sasuke mean a lot to you?"

At this, Naruto's heart begins to race, but he doesn't let on to it. Instead, he shifts in his spot and lets out a sort of mumble. Kiba furrows his brows. "I mean…I guess he does." Naruto says after a second.

"You went all ballistic on us back there. I didn't see it or anything, but I sure could tell." Kiba continues. Naruto lifts his hands out of the water and stares at the blisters.

"Sasuke and I just met," he says, surprising Kiba. "But I feel like I've known him for longer."

Kiba leans back and rests his head on the ledge. "I know what you mean." He says. "Well, sort of. Akamaru and I…we go way back. But when we first met, it was like we had this connection that made us seem like old friends." He shrugs. "Or perhaps he's my reincarnated form."

Naruto smiled a bit. "You'd have to be dead for that to happen." He points out.

"I know," Kiba grins. "But I got you to smile." Akamaru wades over to Kiba and shakes the water off of himself, although there really isn't any point because he's still in the water. I don't know. Dogs are weird like that. Kiba laughs and places two hands on Akamaru's back to make him stop. "So tell me about Sasuke. What do you like about him?"

Naruto opens his mouth to answer but pauses. What did he like about Sasuke? The guy was rude, annoying, arrogant, and to be honest, kind of a dislikable guy. So then why did Naruto like him so much? Why did he feel that connection with him?

"I don't know." He says. "I mean, there's nothing _to_ like but somehow I just…do." He shrugs.

Kiba nods his head coolly. "Yeah, I feel that way about Akamaru sometimes." Akamaru barks in disagreement, causing Kiba to laugh.

_Is everything about his dog?_ Naruto thinks with a sweat drop.

"Hey, maybe you should wash up a bit," Kiba suggests. "Use some of that body soap. You wouldn't wanna smell bad for your lady."

Naruto nods.

"Oh, hey…about me and Hinata," Kiba starts. This catches Naruto's attention and he lifts his eyes to Kiba's for the first time. "I don't like her or anything. I'm just picking on you, okay?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Great." Kiba says with a grin. Then he waves goodbye and swims towards the collection of body soaps. Naruto's brows furrow as he watches after the boy. What was with him?

…

Sakura leans against the metal table that Sasuke is lying unconscious on. She's gasping for breath, sweat dripping from her face. "You okay?" Hinata asks while peering over at the pinkette. Sakura nods.

"I'm not used to this type of medical bending," she admits. "I don't know how I'll ever be as good as you."

"You won't," Hinata says with a playful grin. "I'm just kidding," she turns back to Sasuke. "You're actually really great at this, for someone who can't bend. Plus, water isn't your element anyway."

"Thanks."

"Okay, the last thing we need to do is put some medical ointment on his burns." Hinata says. Sakura takes the hint and goes to fetch them. "We've already healed the burns from the inside out. Adding the ointment will reduce the pain from contact with skin and will also take care of swelling."

"Hinata," Sakura says while handing her the jar of cream. Hinata raises an eyebrow. "Those are just minor problems."

Hinata turns back to Sasuke. She knew what Sakura meant without her having to finish her sentence. "I know. Perhaps Ino could perform her mind transfer jutsu and retract those certain memories."

"He's scarred," Sakura says. "That won't do any good. Besides, that doesn't feel right. Taking away his memories? Even if they're bad ones…they're his."

"But we can't have him acting mental," Hinata places a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want him in pain?"

Sakura bites her bottom lip while staring at Sasuke, her love, her eyes drifting over the burns that scar and blister his face and the bloodied lips. "I…" her eyes fall to the floor. "I don't know." Tears pitter patter onto the floor, multiplying like a rain storm, and soak her feet.

"Come on," Hinata says. "Let's let him rest. We need to bathe."

…

When the two enter the bath house, everyone bombards them with questions. Naruto rises from the tub, a desperate look in his eyes. Without a second thought, he runs to Hinata, collapsing in her arms. She holds him, letting his tears soak her already ruined Fire Nation clothing. She pets his head, running her fingers through his silky hair, and gently scratches his scalp in a comforting manner.

"How's Sasuke?" Tenten asks.

"He's going to be fine," Hinata says in a shaky voice. Naruto looks up at her in suspicion. She sighs. "I mean, he's fine physically. We healed his burns. But..." she bites her lower lip, turning to Sakura.

"He's scarred…mentally." Sakura says.

"Will he be okay, do you think?" Ino inquires with genuine concern. Sasuke was sort of her friend, after all.

"I don't know. How would you feel if you killed your best friend?" Sakura retorts harshly.

Ino jerks back, shocker by Sakura's reaction. Shikamaru drapes an arm over his girlfriend's shoulders. "What do you suggest? Ino block his memories?"

"I was thinking so." Hinata says hesitantly. "But we wouldn't want to rob him of his memory. It's unfair."

"I say we let him keep his memories," Neji cuts in. "But if he acts like he's in need of an asylum, we have Ino block the death of Suigetsu."

"That sounds right." Shikamaru agrees.

"Sakura?" Hinata asks while turning to the girl. She nods, lets out a shaky breath.

"I guess it's the best way." She whispers.

Naruto gnashes his teeth together before burying his face in Hinata's chest again. Hinata looks down in shock. "Naruto," she says. "You're getting vomit on yourself… And you were clean."

"I don't care." He says quietly. Hinata's expression softens even further than usual and she almost melts at the torment ripping through her boyfriend. The blond pulls away with a sigh.

"Come on, Naruto," Hinata says while taking his hand. "I'll massage your back."

…

After everyone was clean-Hinata emptied the dirty bath water with the push of a button and rinsed it out before adding fresh water. Then she and Sakura bather, Hinata using vanilla cup cake shampoo and body wash while Sakura used rose scented wash. Then Hinata gave Naruto a comforting massage to his shoulders and back, even kissed the length of his upper self to lessen the tenseness in his muscles-the group headed back to Sasuke's medical room.

Hiashi noted the smell in the air and smiled to himself behind his office doors as the group passed by him.

When they reach the room, everyone hesitates. "He should be up by now," Hinata says. "Who wants to go in first?"

"I say sakura does," Naruto says in the most solemn voice Hinata had ever heard him use. He gives her a half smile. "Can I go after her?"

Hinata blinks. "Of course, Naruto!" she exclaims.

"Okay, I'm going." Sakura says, almost a whisper, as she opens the door and takes a step in. On the other side of the door, Sasuke sleeps peacefully, his frown lifting. Sakura almost smiles at the sight.

She takes a seat beside him and places a hand on his chest. His hand flies up to hers so quickly that it startles her. It was almost as if he'd sensed her presence minutes before she'd walked through the door...

"Sasuke?" she whispers. He doesn't open his eyes, but his breath hitches, a sign that he's listening. "I'm so sorry this happened. Are you alright…?" His hand tightens around hers and his face takes on a painful expression. "Does it hurt?" he nods his head. "Do you want more cream?"

"Will that…heal my heart?" he asks in a dry, throaty voice. Sakura's eyes widen as tears begin to pool beneath the emerald green of her irises. Without thinking, she bends down and plants her lips upon his, tasting the blood and vomit on his skin. It almost makes her puke, but she doesn't. The feeling of his lips on hers is too great a feeling to be soiled.

She releases her hold on his lips and wipes the puke from her own. "I should've listened to you…Why didn't I? Why did I kill my…best friend?" he blinks his tears away but it's no use. They just keep coming, flooding his senses with mourning and grief.

"No one blames you," Sakura says while resting her hand lower on his chest. "Don't cry… Please…Sasuke." Her sobs grow as the number of tears falling from his eyes increase. He sniffs.

"Yes. It was all my fault."

"You only wanted your friend back!" Sakura insists.

"I wanted you back too! I didn't kill you to get you back though!" Sakura's eyes widen. Sasuke lets out a breath. "I should have known."

"Known what?"

"Karin said that her master, the one behind all of this, knew I'd try to revive Suigetsu. He wanted me to. He knew it would kill him."

"That means…we can't revive Kiba either." Sakura says quietly.

"We don't know that. It might have been the way I'd…done it."

"Well, we're not taking any chances."

Sasuke averts his gaze.

"Sasuke…are you okay with this?" Sakura inquires.

"With what? His death?" He shoots her a glare.

"No, I mean…are okay?"

"No!"

"That's not what I mean either…" Sakura says, flustered.

"Then spit it out!" Sasuke shouts.

"Please, don't shout," Sakura says as more tears brim her eyes. She blinks and then shouts. "Are going to go crazy!?" Sasuke stares at her in awe and as realization hits, her hands fly up to cover her mouth. "I didn't mean-"

Sasuke starts to laugh. Really laugh, like, manically. Sakura stares at him with wide, fearful eyes as he rises from the table he's lying on. "S-Sasuke…you shouldn't sit up…" she stutters while backing away ever so slowly. Sasuke hops off of the table as if he hadn't just endured a searing hot bomb explosion. As he nears Sakura, a malicious grin spreads across his face.

"Sakura," he sings evilly. "Aren't you going to come and try to mend my broken heart?"

Sakura's eyes widen as his eyes hollow out and blood oozes from them. Spiders escape the sockets, spinning webs around his head as other sorts of bugs crawl from the crevices of his teeth. Sakura lets out a scream of horror as her back hits the wall. Sasuke is now only a foot from her, one of his bony hands lifting to her face. Sakura flinches.

"Beautiful girls make marionettes."

…

_As Sakura enters the room_

Hinata turns to the frowning Naruto. "Guys, we'll be right back." She says, and takes the confused boy's hand. She leads him down a hall and then up a flight of glassy, crystal stairs that look exactly like the floors in the bath house. Naruto watches the way her pearly silk robe sways against her thighs, just below her butt. They'd changed into robes after their baths because their clothes were ruined.

His eyes travel up to the small of her back and then to her shoulder where her robe slips slightly, showing off her creamy smooth skin. He closes his eyes, remembering how soft it was against his own rough skin. Hinata turns around to glance at him and, seeing how his eyes are closed, smiles to herself. He looked peaceful, which was a good thing. He'd sure be riled up and somber after she asked him what she needed to know.

"Naruto," Hinata says softly. The boy opens his eyes and is met by a pair of glass doors that are surprisingly not see-through. The two diamond knobs have the initials H H carved onto them. Naruto guessed they were the doors to her room. He hadn't gotten a good look at them the last time he was here.

"Why are we here?" he inquires.

"I need to talk to you. This is a pretty private place." Hinata says with a shrug. She releases his hand and opens the doors wide. Inside is a queen sized bed with purple satin sheets and a lavender and gold canopy overhead. Her walls are painted purple and the carpets are the color of her irises. There's little furniture other than a furry looking, purple couch and TV. There's a closet with golden doors and scrolls for Water Tribe hanging on her walls.

"I think I know what color ring to get you." Naruto says under his breath. Although he hadn't noticed he'd said it out loud, so when he saw Hinata's crimson blush, his brows furrowed and a smile graced his lips. "What are you blushing about now?" Hinata shakes her head with a small grin.

"Come on." She says quietly while leading him to her couch. Naruto makes sure to shut the doors behind him before following her to the plushy furniture.

"What did you wanna talk about?" he asks while taking a seat beside her. Hinata has her legs tucked between herself and the couch and her hands are resting in her lap timidly. To ease her nervousness, Naruto takes her hands in his. He gives her a genuine smile. "Tell me."

"I just…I know you know about it." Hinata starts. _That may not be the best way to say it…_Naruto gives her a look of confusion. She sighs. "When you turn into a…cat…Or whatever…?" Naruto's eyes widen. "I know you know about it."

He averts his gaze, dropping Hinata's hands back into her lap. She furrows her brows and scoots closer to him. "Tell me, Naruto, please." She says. He shakes his head.

"I don't know what it is," he admits. "Maybe I know I little about it. But other than that…." He shrugs.

"Tell me what you do know."

He takes a deep breath. "I…When I was younger, my parents were killed in a fire. I told you that, right?" Hinata nods her head. "Well, when I was born, my mom and dad were called to Tsunade. I mean, this is what Tsunade has told me so far, anyway. So when they were alone, Tsunade told them I was to be avatar. My parents were ecstatic." Hinata smiles.

"But being the avatar means being cleansed in special water. Almost like being baptized. It helps to open all the chakras so the avatar is able to bend all of the elements. Something went wrong on my baptizing day. Someone had tainted the water with…well, they don't know. It was something evil, though. They call it Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi?" Hinata repeats. "That's pretty close to Kyuubo…"

Naruto sweat drops.

"So anyways…I still don't know why I do that when I'm angry or...whatever. But I still think Tsunade knows why. I think she knows all about it, actually. She just won't tell me."

"Naruto…" Hinata places a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for asking. That was rude of me."

"No," Naruto shakes his head with a sheepish smile. Then his smile disappears and he leans closer to her. "Thanks for…being there for me. Today…When Sasuke was being operated on and everything. And thanks for comforting me. Oh, and thanks for caring."

Naruto rambles on, causing Hinata's grin to widen with each word. She leans in and shuts him up by pressing her lips to his. After about a second, Naruto laces fingers with her and uses his other hand to cup her blistered cheek. Hinata presses against him harder, her free hand resting in his lap.

She feels something stiffen through the material of his robe and pulls back, embarrassed. But Naruto won't have it. With red cheeks, he leans closer, resting his hand on her lap in return and places his lips against hers again. Hinata shudders in delight as he slips his tongue in between her lips. His hand roams her lap while the other breaks from their entanglement of fingers and runs through her long, silky hair.

Hinata closes any space left between them by collapsing on top of him, sending Naruto slowly onto his back. He places both hands on her ass and runs them up and down the length of her spine. Hinata massages his scalp with her fingernails as she had in the bath house, causing Naruto to moan.

Hinata withdraws for breath and as she does so, Naruto slips the other side of her robe down so that both shoulders are sleeveless. She gasps at the sudden act, Naruto grinning at her pleadingly. She's about to comply and slip the rest off when a scream sounds from downstairs. The two share a horrified look before climbing off of the couch and racing down the stairs.

…

"It's about time you two got here!" Ino shouts as Naruto and Hinata arrive on the scene, Hinata slipping the sleeves of her robe back up. Ino gives her a pointed look.

"We can't water bend the door!" Tenten says. "And Sasuke locked it!"

"That's because it's glass, not water." Hinata says.

"I tried to tell her." Neji says as he and Tenten sweat drop.

"What's going on in there?" Naruto inquires.

"We don't know, but Sakura's screaming bloody murder." Ino says.

"Who can bend glass?" Shikamaru asks. They all turn to Naruto.

"Don't look at me. I can only bend three elements."

They turn to Hinata, who rolls her eyes. "Daddy won't like this."

"Hinata, what are you-?" Neji starts, but is interrupted by Hinata taking a large step back and then performing a run and jump front kick. The door shatters at her bare feet, and she whimpers as the shards pierce her skin.

"You okay?" Naruto asks while resting a hand on her shoulder. She nods. He turns his attention to Sakura, who's cowering against the wall with a very thin and bony Sasuke looming before her. There's something wrapped around his forehead that looks vaguely like a spider web and bugs crawl along his skin. Naruto shudders.

"What the hell?" Tenten and Ino say in unison.

Sasuke turns to meet their gazes, and everyone gasps in horror.

"It's not Sasuke!" Sakura shouts. "Naruto grabbed a phony!"

Naruto's eyes widen in rage.

"What's…in his eyes?" Ino says while pointing a meek finger.

"Someone kill him!" Sakura screeches.

"And to think I wasted my medical bending and ointment on him." Hinata huffs angrily. "You'll pay for that!" she raises a fist to the imposter who smirks in return.

"Hinata," he says in a sinister voice, causing her arm to fall limply to her side in fear. "Thanks for making me all better. I'm stronger than ever."

"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto demands.

"Oh, you know, with his friends. He's about to get what he wanted so badly."

"You bastard!"

And all at once, everyone works together. Hinata bends the water from the sink and whips him with it, as if it were a belt.

"Ooh, I like that." He says perversely. Hinata narrows her gaze on him and whips harder. "Feisty!" he shouts.

"Shut your mouth hole!" Naruto yells while bending the air around them and pointing it at Sasuke. The imposter is hurled backwards…right into Sakura…Who falls onto the floor unconscious as soon as Naruto releases the wind. "Whoops." He says sheepishly.

"Mind transfer!" Ino shouts while Sasuke is busy recovering. Her body falls limp and Shikamaru dashes to catch her. Tenten crosses the room and grabs Sakura, trying to shake her awake, but to no avail. The brunette throws her over her shoulder before dashing back to the other side.

"What's on his mind?" Naruto asks before snickering to himself at his pun. Everyone else sweat drops.

"I…I can't see anything." Ino says in a shaky voice. "It's so dark…And there's this scratching inside my head…Like…" her eyes widen. "SPIDERS!"

She transfers back to her own body, screaming and squirming in Shikamaru's arms. He releases her, muttering, "What a drag."

"Ino!" Neji and Tenten shout accusingly.

"You don't know what it feels like to have bugs inside your head!" Ino defends.

"You mean ticks?" Naruto says with a grin.

"Shut the front door!" Tenten shouts while slamming him with a gust of wind. Naruto clutches his head with a pout.

"Ouch…"

The man growls, redirecting everyone's attention towards him. "You think you can go inside my mind?" he says.

Ino gulps.

"I'll show you how fun it is to go inside people's minds!"

And in a flash, he's beside Ino, gripping her bottom row of teeth with his thumb and with the other hand, her eyelids. Everyone's eyes widen as he lets out a painful moan and is sucked inside Ino's mouth and eyes. Tenten screams.

Naruto grabs Hinata's hand and jumps about twenty feet away from Ino, the other following suit. All but Shikamaru who stays by her side with an angry glare. "You troublesome bastard." He curses.

After a second, Ino closes her eyes. All is silent as they watch the blond closely. And then she lets out an ear splitting scream, rising to her feet with a demonic look on her face. Her eyes are rimmed with black, and when they open, the blue irises are gone. Shikamaru jerks backwards.

Suddenly, something falls from the ceiling, as if out of nowhere. Naruto's eyes widen. "Sasuke!" He squeezes Hinata's hand before releasing it and dashing to Sasuke's side. He looks the same as the other one, expect this one was real. He had to be.

"I've got it!" Shikamaru shouts while dodging a kick from Ino. "This…thing takes over a person's body! If he wants to take over a new person's body, he has to give the other one up." Ino roundhouses him and he falls to the floor, skidding towards Neji.

"So…this is the real Sasuke?" Naruto inquires while holding the limp body in his arms. "I thought that guy said Sasuke was about to be made into a puppet!"

"He lied!" Shikamaru says, his voice strained. Neji bends the water from the sink and wraps it around Ino's neck, tightening it like a rope. "No!" Shikamaru shouts. "That's still her body. It's something like the mind transfer jutsu."

"So how do we get rid of this vermin?" Neji asks through gritted teeth as Ino struggles with the bindings.

"How would someone get rid of Ino?" Shikamaru inquires.

"Bugs?" Naruto suggests.

"Obviously this guy doesn't mind them. And they're already starting to nest in her skull." Shikamaru says, waving the idea away.

"He climbs into another person's body while still in the former's body." Tenten says thoughtfully. "We can't get him out of Ino's body without getting him into another person's."

"An animal?" Neji suggests.

Tenten and Kiba shoot him death glares. Neji shrinks down to his chibi form, muttering an apology.

"No, wait," Shikamaru says. "That's actually really smart. We could always kill the animal after."

"NO!" Kiba and Tenten shout in unison.

"No, no, we'll use a bug!" Naruto cuts in.

"Will he…fit?" Hinata inquires.

Ino laughs manically. "How are you going to get me in there? I'm not leaving this body until I feel like it. And whoever I go into is my own decision." She says. "You rotten twirls think you can kill me?" she laughs again.

"Then we'll just make you wanna come out." Tenten says.

"Someone find a bug!" Naruto shouts.

The group of teens rush around frantically, Naruto, Tenten, Kiba, and Akamaru searching for a bug, Neji and Hinata holding Ino down, and Shikamaru coming up with a plan to make the "thing" want to leave Ino's body. Naruto lays Sasuke and Sakura beside each other before rushing to help the other. Unknowingly, the two shift in their sleep and their hands lay on top of each other.

Akamaru is the first to find a bug, but he eats it, so the three desperately search for five more minutes until they find a beetle. Neji and Hinata are straining to hold Ino down with the water ropes they've bound her in and Shikamaru still hasn't thought up a plan. "Come on, Shikamaru! We have the beetle!" Tenten says.

"Think!" Naruto shouts.

Shikamaru glares at him.

"What do spirits-or whatever he is-like?" Kiba inquires.

"What do they fear is the question." Shikamaru says with a smirk.

"Huh?" Naruto and Kiba say in unison.

"Think about it. This creep likes the dark. He likes creepy crawlies that humans hate. What would his fear be?"

"Rainbows?"

"Ponies?"

"The light?"

"Bingo," Shikamaru says. "Hinata, is there a bright light around here?"

Hinata gives Neji a questioning look to which he nods. She releases her hold on Ino and runs to get a flashlight. "Will a light be enough?" Neji asks through gritted teeth as he pulls on Ino's struggling form.

"I hope so. How big is that light?" Shikamaru says.

"I don't know which light she went to get. I mean, a light is a ligh-" Neji stops when he hears the sound or wheels on the floor. "I should just never speak when it has something to do with Hinata." He mutters.

Said girl arrives with a large beam that you'd normally see on a movie set and pats it. "Is this big enough?" she asks with a smile. Shikamaru returns her smile and motions for her to come near. Ino struggles even more, wiggling in Neji's grip. Hinata and Shikamaru share a look before pulling the switch simultaneously.

A blinding light comes on and everyone turns away. "Now," Shikamaru shouts. "Naruto, place the beetle down and everyone else run!"

He does as he's told and places the beetle on the floor. "No one step on him!" he shouts. Hinata grabs his hand and the two run towards the broken door, leaving Kiba to haul Sasuke onto Akamaru's back and then throw Sakura over his shoulder. Neji finally releases Ino and follows the rest of them out of the room. Hinata bends a wall of water to replace the door she broke and then they wait.

After a few minutes, a scream is heard and then there's silence. Hinata peers through the water wall too find Ino lying on the floor, clutching her head in pain. Hinata lets the water fall to the floor before racing to the blond's side. Shikamaru smashes the bug with his bare foot, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"What happened?" Ino asks slowly as she lifts her idle gaze to the others. Hinata turns off the blinding light and gives her a sympathetic smile.

"Remember that creep that took over Sasuke's body?" she nods. "Well, he took over yours." Ino's eyes widen in horror as she wraps her arms around her torso.

"But the good news is he's dead," Naruto says. "And Sasuke's back!" he motions to two unconscious teens lying on the floor, their heads resting on Akamaru. Kiba grins down at them.

"That's good and all, but he was in _me_?" Ino says. "You mean…_me?_!"

Tenten rolls her eyes. "I sorta wish she was unconscious like those two."

Ino shoots her a glare before climbing to her feet. "Did I have bugs in my brain too?"

Everyone shares a look before saying in unison, "No…" and waving their hands. Ino nods, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"So what now?" Kiba says. Everyone turns to Naruto.

"I guess we head back to Air Kingdom," he says. "After we get Sasuke cleaned up again." He sends Hinata a sheepish look, to which she shrugs and kisses his lips.

"Oh, get a room!" Tenten hollers.

Naruto sticks a tongue out at her before kissing Hinata again. And again. And again. That is, until Sasuke wakes up and shouts, "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CLOTHES?!"

Everyone turns to Ino, who is now dressed in Sasuke's old, pukey clothes. Then they turn to the smushed beetle who was wearing a miniature version of Ino's robe.

"Um…The Land of Poison?"

"Fuck."

**A/N: **So, I hope that was alight… It was sort of pointless, other than the fact that we learned a tiny, very tiny secret about Naruto. Other than that…this chapter had no point and can now be burned in the pit of hell. But before that, review!


	14. Oh snapA Field of Drama Bombs

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Fourteen~ Oh snap… A Field of Drama Bombs…

**IMPORTANT! READ!**

**A/N: **So, I'm sorry if you don't know this but I have a life. I find it extremely rude when people are not considerate of my feelings and go off about how slowly I update. Actually, I update pretty quickly most of the time, and compared to most writers, I update extremely quickly. Honestly, people are just being selfish. I am not obliged to write you a story. I do it because I like to write and I like most of you.

I was up at my sister's college this week because she was leaving and it was very emotional for my family. Also, school just started and on the very first, actually before the first day, I was bombarded with more than twenty assignments. I've been busy with homework so I would appreciate it if you guys appreciate the fact that I am writing for you. Please be considerate of me because I am considerate of you.

Sorry for the lecture, but you people, not all of you, need to be put in your place. Now on to the story :) I hope you all enjoy very much, though I cannot guarantee -_-

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

A soft light shines on locks of bright red as the young woman leans over the wooden table, tears streaming down her cheeks. She's taken her glasses off but she her eyes feel just as suffocated, as if they're drowning, as they did when she wore the glasses. Jugo stands behind her, his hands clasped together and hanging limply at his middle. The man in the red cloak enters the room with a small smile.

"Why, Karin, what's the matter? Marionettes don't cry." He says in a false sympathetic tone. Her crimson eyes flash to his, a mixture of pain and anger pooling like lava behind her tears. In half a second, she's by the man's side, her slim fingers curling around his neck. Her pink fingernails dig into his skin. The man smiles as her nails begin to sink into the clay-like surface of his skin.

"What the-?" she says as her fingers begin to disappear into his skin. "What's going on?" she yanks her hand back and stumbles into Jugo's open arms. He helps her to her feet.

"That wasn't wise. But you know what they say. You can only learn from your mistakes." The man says with a smirk, and turns to the shriveled skin of Suigetsu. "Now, what do we have here? Suigetsu's shriveled up like a little fishy out of water."

"Okay, first of all, fish don't shrivel up when they're out of the water-"

"If they soak in the sun then actually they do." Jugo adds quietly, but is unheard by Karin as she keeps talking over him.

"And secondly, why did you do this to him?" she finishes.

"What do you mean?" the man asks with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what I mean! You set him up. You knew he'd die. So tell me why!" Karin shouts as she crosses her arms over her chest. The man lets out a sigh while tracing a finger over Suigetsu's skin. Karin narrows her gaze on him in disgust.

"I wanted Sasuke to know that messing with me was unacceptable." He says. Karin and Jugo's eyes widen. "But don't you were your pretty little mind. I raised you all from the dead. And I'll do it again." Karin's mouth opens and closes. "Now, I need you two to do me a favor while I raise Suigetsu back. Are you up to it?" Karin and Jugo share an uncertain look. "Don't worry, it isn't too hard. I only need you to run to Earth Kingdom. I have some fellow rogues to speak with."

He lets out a chuckle.

"Tell them I know where to find the sacred blood bending scroll."

…

"It's always so cloudy up here." Tenten comments as she and the others walk down the deserted streets of Air Kingdom. The skies not too far above are a dark gray, the wind is fierce and cold, and the sound of thunder can be heard in the distance. Hinata shivers as another wind carries an unpleasant feeling onto her skin.

"Well duh. We are in the skies." Naruto says as if it's the simplest thing ever. And actually, it kind of was, but no one but him was holding it against her. He notices Hinata shivering and quickly crosses the space between them to drape an arm around her shoulders. "You cold?" he asks softly.

"Yeah-"

"Well duh. It _is_ cold up here." Tenten says while mimicking Naruto's previous tone. The blond shoots her a glare, to which she smirks.

"Has anyone else noticed how vacant the streets are?" Neji inquires, breaking the argument.

"Yeah," Kiba adds. "Is it always like this?"

"No. We don't live in a secluded area." Naruto says while peering around. "I don't why everyone is hiding. Maybe it's because the rain is gonna fall soon." He shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah," Hinata agrees with chattering teeth.

"Man, you really are cold!" Naruto exclaims while wrapping both arms around the girl, causing them to stop in the middle of the street. Kiba bumps into the two, his eyes trailing off towards the sky and his mind nebulous with thoughts. He grunts.

"Move it along, love doves." He mutters before brushing past the two. Naruto and Hinata share a confused look before Naruto shouts:

"It's birds, not doves!"

"Naruto," Hinata scolds while pulling away. His brows furrow and he opens his mouth to ask what he did wrong when something catches his eye.

"Hey," he says. "What's that?"

Everyone turns in the direction he's pointing to. "Is that…a person?" Ino inquires with squinted eyes.

"I have no clue. It looks more like a skeleton to me." Sasuke says.

"Do you think they're hurt?" Sakura says worriedly.

"If they're dead then probably not."

Sakura shoots him a pointed look. "Not funny. If they were dead then that would be serious!"

"Not as serious as a zombie…" Tenten says in horror while pointing towards the body again. This time when everyone looks, they gasp. The body is moving.

"They're alive." Shikamaru states while folding his arms behind his head.

"Let's check it out." Naruto says.

As they near the body, a bolt of lightning flashes in the sky overhead. The skeleton, er, person curses under their breath before weaving a hand sign with their fingers. "Are they performing a jutsu?" Ino whispers to Tenten, who shrugs in return.

"I don't know. But if it is a jutsu, it could be dangerous. This is a zombie we're dealing with, after all." Tenten whispers back.

"There's no such things as zombies." Sasuke says.

"Oh yeah? What about Kiba? Or Suigetsu-?"

Ino clasps a hand over the brunette's mouth with a sheepish smile. "Is it safe to be outside in a thunderstorm? What if we get hit by lighting?" Shikamaru says. "We're so high up that it's more likely to be hit by lightning than for a monkey to eat a banana."

"I like your contrasts." Sakura says thoughtfully.

"I don't know, but this is important. I swear we'll find cover after we deal with this person." Naruto says with determination. And then he grabs Hinata's hand in his and pushes further towards the alley that the person is hiding in. "Hey," he shouts, alerting what looks to be a woman. "Who are you? Are you lost?"

The woman frowns. Her hair is a bleached-looking blond and it's frail; her skin is so tight that her ribs and bones can be seen; her face has sunken with age. She rolls her brown eyes. "Naruto, you moron, it's me." She says in an uncouth tone. His blue eyes widen incredibly.

"Granny?" he says in disbelief.

"Yes," she says with a sigh.

"What happened to you?!"

Everyone's eyes trail down to her extremely flat chest.

"Would you brats quit staring? This is my true form."

"Your what?!" they shout in unison.

"Granny, I don't understand."

"Yeah, what happened to your-?"

Tsunade sighs. "A couple years back, I developed a very terrible illness. I lost all my hair, body weight, and well, beauty. Being how I am, I wanted my old self back and developed a jutsu that could make you look younger. But…he got a hold of it."

"Who?" Hinata asks.

"His name was Orochimaru. Naruto, you may not remember him but he used to be a monk, and the two of us were great friends. Well, when he learned of my new jutsu, he wanted in. I was willing to share, being the great friend I was, but he on the other hand was not as great a friend."

"He stole it?" Sasuke inquires.

"There was nothing to steal," Tsunade says. "But instead, he learned the jutsu and added on to it. When I found out that he was creating a jutsu to raise the dead using my jutsu as the base, I went ballistic. I demanded he stop but he didn't."

"His name is Orochimaru…?" Kiba whispers.

"So this is all your fault?" Naruto says in accusation, earning a bonk on the head.

"Why are you in this form then?" Shikamaru inquires.

"There's this thing called chakra energy. This is the energy you use to create a jutsu. If there isn't enough of this energy in the air then you're unable to use jutsu. He's taken all of the chakra energy in the air and used it for himself, for his task, so I'm stuck in this form until I can find some more energy." She explains.

"Well that explains the zombies," Tenten says. "But why are the streets so deserted?"

"The storm."

"Then we should get inside somewhere, right?" Naruto says.

"I would presume. Unless you think Hinata would taste better fried." Tsunade retorts with an arched eyebrow.

"Hey! I would never eat Hinata!"

The bluenette's cheeks flush at the smirks and teasing and quickly changes the subject. "Tsunade-sama, there isn't enough room in Naruto's apartment for all of us and-"

"Say no more," the blond holds up a hand. "I've arranged for you all to stay at an Inn very close to the monks' apartments. You can get your stuff and check in, okay?"

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Neji says politely.

"Whatever. Naruto, I need you to help me back to the Hokage tower without anyone seeing me."

Naruto's face of confusion from the previous quarrel about Hinata and his "cannibalism" quickly turns to one of protest. He holds up his index finger, ready for a debate, when the frail old woman grabs him with a shaky hand and pulls him away from the group. "See ya!" she shouts over her shoulder as the two disappear down the road.

"So which way is the Inn?"

…

Tenten flops onto her bed with a sigh and rolls around the surface as if it were a puddle of melted chocolate. "This is the life." She says while gripping the silken sheets in her fists. "I've never felt anything this good."

Neji grunts.

"Oh, sorry. Except for you, Neji." Tenten corrects with a sheepish grin, causing Neji's cheeks to burn a bright red.

"I think I'm going to take a bath." Hinata says softly while grabbing her nightshirt and shorts.

"I'll come with you!" Ino hollers, and reaches for the bag lying underneath Shikamaru's head. She pauses with a huff. "This boy is always sleeping!"

"At least it won't be hard to get him in bed." Sakura says with a snicker. Ino frowns.

"You're coming too, forehead."

As the girls exit the room to go down to the baths, Kiba crosses the space to Neji's bedside. The brunette looks up at him with blank eyes. "I have something to ask you." Kiba says tentatively.

"Shoot."

He takes a seat beside Neji, worrying the hem of his shirt, and then scoots further away. "I, uh…" Neji quirks a brow. "How long have Naruto and Hinata been dating?" From across the room, Sasuke looks up from the contents he's spilled from his duffel bag. A frown forms on his lips.

Neji narrows his gaze on the brunette in suspicion. "Listen, Kiba, I don't particularly like Naruto but I love Hinata and want her to be happy. You never meddle with love. Especially with my cousin's love."

"What?" Kiba raises his eyebrows as a red hue dusts his cheeks. "I wasn't implying that-"

"Save it." Neji brushes him off with the wave of his hand and closes his eyes again. Kiba glares at Neji's closed eyelids so intently that he has to blink and take a breath.

"Whatever," he mutters while turning away. "But all is fair in love and war."

He exits the room with a smirk, but it doesn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, who is watching after the "heartless" boy with a skeptical gaze. _Naruto,_ he thinks. _I don't like you either, but I won't let him near Hinata's heart._

…

"Granny!" Naruto shouts as the weak Tsunade shakily makes her way across the street. "Granny, hold up. I don't understand why you don't want anyone to see you!"

Tsunade sighs and turns to the boy. She drops his hand. "After I perfected the jutsu and used it on myself, one of the nurses attending to me earlier walked in. She was so stunned that she went around the hospital screaming, 'Tsunade's healed! Tsunade's healed!'" she shakes her head. "I couldn't let word out about my jutsu so no one but your friends and Orochimaru know about it." She leans in closer. "Let's keep it that way."

Naruto lets out a breathy laugh before backing away. "Granny, let me carry you back. It'll be a lot faster." She looks uncertain but accepts nonetheless. Naruto hoists her onto his back, her legs wrapping loosely around his waist. He gives a determined nod before starting across the street.

"So about you and Hinata…" Tsunade starts.

"What about us?"

Naruto bends the earth beneath the two of them and they begin to rise towards the top of the Hokage tower. Tsunade wraps her arms more tightly around his neck. "You really like her, huh?"

"Yeah," Naruto says with a slight blush.

"How much?"

The question takes him by surprise and he almost misses the open window to Tsunade's office. But instead of heading straight for the stream of lightning above, Naruto releases his bending and jumps through the window, landing on his feet but skidding slightly and ramming right into her desk. Tsunade climbs off of him with wide eyes. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Dandy." Naruto croaks.

"Good. Now answer the question."

The blond lets out a strained sigh before limping to one of her free chairs and sinking into it. "I don't know. A lot?"

"That's not an answer, boy. I need to know what kind of things you'd do to her." Tsunade says with a frown, and takes her seat behind the now dented desk. She inspects the groove in the wood and her frown deepens.

Naruto can't take her seriously in her state, and in all honesty can't even understand what she's trying to ask him. What would he do to her? Those things were private but…

"I guess I'd hold her when she's sad… I'd kiss her when she's mad. Smile when she's happy. I'd protect her when she's in danger… I'd love her every day-"

He's just about to get into to gooey stuff when Tsunade says, "Not that stuff! This isn't a poem, moron!" she slams a hand onto her desk, but it only makes a weak smacking noise like a very thin book landing on the floor. She rubs her temples. "I mean, what would you do to her sexually?"

"HUH!?" Naruto shouts, nearly falling out of his chair. His eyes dart around the room. "I-I wouldn't do that stuff with her!"

"Oh please," Tsunade says with the roll of her eyes. "You're a man. We all know what kind of things you think about."

"But I don't think like that! I swear!"

"Naruto!" she shouts sternly, causing him to shut up. "This is serious. I need to know because…" she sighs, letting her gaze fall to her desk.

"Because what?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Naruto, because of the demon power inside of you…Because of that fateful day when you were baptized, you were destined to have a child with an evil inside of them as well." Naruto's eyes widen. "I don't want you and Hinata to do anything like that…unless you know the consequences first."

"Well hold on, Granny, Hinata and I are as pure as monks! Hell, I _am_ a monk!"

"Naruto, you never know what might happen. When you're caught up in the moment and-"

"SHUT UP!"

Tsunade chuckles, but any traces of smugness vanishes instantly. "Just be careful." She says as parting words. And just as Naruto opens the door to leave, she shouts, "And use protection!"

Naruto slams the door shut.

…

"This is nice." Ino says while sinking further into the water. The four girls were wading in the hot, bubbly water with a thick mist hanging in the air. Sakura shifts uncomfortably, lifting her leg into the air to reveal an expanse of pale skin. Water traces down the length of her leg.

"It's a little cold for my taste." She states with a shiver.

"Sorry, normal humans don't bathe in boiling water." Tenten says with the rolls of her eyes. "Unless you're Hinata and you're being fried up for dinner."

The other girls snicker as Ino gives the brunette a high five. Hinata sinks so low into the water that the water contours around the tip of her nose. Bubbles begin to rise from under the water. "Don't tell me radishes make you gassy, too." Tenten says in mock disgust.

Hinata rises from her cozy spot of humiliation and crawls over the edge of the bath. Tenten and Sakura frown. "We weren't being mean." The pinkette insists, trying to persuade Hinata to stay. She doesn't listen. She only moves further away from the other girls, leaving pools of water on the tiled floor as the only evidence she was there.

"Hinata, why are you so tense?" Tenten inquires before she can open the door and leave. Hinata pauses.

"Because Naruto and I aren't the only couple here. I don't see why we're the only ones who get made fun of."

"But we're not making fun of you. We're only teasing!" Ino argues.

"Same thing."

Hinata slides through the small space she's created by opening the door and then slams it shut. Once she's alone in the changing room, she sinks to the floor and lets the tears that have been waiting to erupt cascade down her cheeks.

_I don't understand! Tenten and Neji can do sexual things and have the situation brushed off. If Naruto and I do that then I'm automatically a whore. I don't know why I get teased so much…!_

She wipes her watery cheek with the back of her hand and sniffs up her tears. "Just great." She mutters while wiping her nose with the same hand she'd used on her cheek.

"Need a tissue?" someone asks.

Hinata's head jolts up at the sound of Kiba's voice and her eyes widen in a mixture of fear and embarrassment. _He can see me half naked! What's he doing in the girls' changing room anyway?! _She jumps to her feet, pressing her back against the wall. She can feel the cold wood on her bare back and it makes her grimace. "Did I scare you?" he inquires with a smirk. Hinata frowns.

"For more than one reason."

"Oh?" he raises his eyebrows. "Do I make you nervous?"

Hinata's stomach churns at the proximity of this man without a heart, and starts to panic. Her mind begins to cloud up as he lifts a hand to her cheek. She closes her eyes. Braces herself. But instead of what she'd expected-a soft caressing-he only wipes away her tears with his thumb and then moves to her nose to wipe away the snot rolling off of the tip. Her face flushes.

"D-don't touch that!" she stutters.

"What? Your snot?" he smirks. "I'm used to it. Akamaru wipes his nose on me all of the time." he shrugs. "So why are you crying anyway?"

Hinata turns her face away. "I wasn't crying. The steam was making it hard to breathe in there so I came out for some cool air."

Kiba presses further, not believing a word of it, and brings his grinning lips near her ear. "Then why are there tears rolling down your cheeks?"

Something in his words ignites a spark in Hinata's stomach and she feels a ball of fire rolling around precariously in her lower region. What was he doing? Flirting with her? Or was he taunting her? She'd had enough of that for one day.

"It's water. Nothing else." She states sourly.

Kiba pulls back. "So then if I licked your cheek, it wouldn't be salty?"

Hinata's face reddens. "Would you leave me the hell alone?"

Just then, the door to the hallway opens and there stands Sasuke in all of his emo glory. Except right about now he looks more pissed than emotionless. Hinata lets out a shaky breath as Kiba takes a step back. "Sasuke?" he says with a fake smile. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you to know that dinner is ready in the dining hall." He leans against the wooden wall, crossing his legs at the ankles coolly in a way that makes Hinata think of it as his signature pose.

"Okay." Is all Kiba says before flashing Hinata a brilliant smile. Then he exits the room, brushing Sasuke's shoulder harshly. The blackette narrows his gaze on nothing in particular, fighting back a bark.

"Sasuke? Are you alright?" Hinata asks softly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

His gaze penetrates hers.

"No reason. Kiba just hit you h-hard."

He rolls his eyes. "Watch out for him. Naruto wouldn't like you hanging around that mutt." And with that, he leaves. Hinata stands there, clueless, with the cold air raping her bare skin and the humiliation of two close guy friends seeing her half naked.

…

A set of brown sandals made their way down the streets that had been made dark by the rain. A head of blond locks recoil with every step the boy takes, careful to keep the water off of him with his bending so he didn't catch a cold. A pair of blue eyes scan the front of the monks' apartments.

As Naruto enters the building, the man manning the counter greets him with a warm smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling slightly. "Hi, Naruto," he greets. "Your lady friend already picked up you stuff for you."

"Oh." Naruto stops about halfway across the room. Silence hangs heavily in the air.

"Hey Naruto," someone else says. The boy turns in the direction of the voice and his eyes widen. There stands in the head monk's office Choji Akimichi, one of Naruto's oldest friends. The boy's eyes almost tear up at the sight.

"Choji?" Naruto says, as if he doesn't know who the solid man before him is. Choji approaches him with outstretched arms.

"It's been a long time. Are you still as much as an eater as you used to be?"

He embraces Naruto in his arms and gives a hearty laugh. "Yeah," Naruto says sheepishly. "Teuchi and I were talking about a ramen eating contest. It's so ironic you're here."

Choji releases him and purses his lips. "When will it be? I've got to go on another tour in a week."

Naruto frowns. "I don't know. There's a lot of stuff going on with me too."

Choji sobers up. His smile forms into a frown. "Yeah. I heard you were the avatar or something?"

_Or something? If he knew how many lives were held in my hands…_

Naruto's torn from his thoughts when Choji places a hand on his shoulder. "You're a great guy," he says. "You'll do fine." And then he grins. "I'll see you Saturday for the contest." And before Naruto can say anything back, Choji has disappeared back into the head monk's office.

He wants to follow him in there. He wants to speak with him some more. And he wants to thank him. But he can't. Choji has made it clear that this reunion is over and that there's more than just human lives hanging heavily on his shoulders.

It's the hope of the people and the fate of the world.

**A/N:** Okay, a little cheesy, a little short, and a little sucky… But hey, I was working under pressure. I still haven't done my history homework, so I hope you're all happy, the ones of you who were rude to me. And I hope everyone else is happy too -_- hahahahahaha Don't forget to commmmmeeeennntttt!


	15. Tools of the Trade

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Fifteen~ Tools of the Trade

**A/N: **NOO! Have you all forgotten about me?! Lol xD Well, if you haven't then thanks! I know I haven't taken too long to update. This is my first free day since it's Friday, but I still have homework to do -_- Anyway, comment please because you know I love it and I love you. *Puts on secret shades to detect non-reviewers* Enjoy :D

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

Hinata's eyelids open idly when she hears the sound of a door creaking open. It must have been at the very least midnight because there wasn't a hint of light in the room. The moon had taken a vacation for the night, hidden beneath the dark blankets of the sky. Her eyelids were heavy with sleep. So much that she could barely keep them open, but she did. And just enough for her to see a silhouette against the wall on the opposite side of the room slink towards her bed.

Her breath hitches as they near her bedside. _Should I scream? Alert the others? Is it Orochimaru?_ Her thoughts seem to drift off, though, just as her consciousness. _I can't seem to stay awake! He'll get me! I have to keep my eyes open… Think…_

The person stops at the foot of her bed and Hinata waits anxiously for them to proceed in their "plan." But then the person bends over and begins to strip down. Hinata's cheeks flush as she hears the fabric of someone's clothes brush against their skin. The person tosses the articles of clothing onto a chair in the far right corner and climbs into bed beside Hinata.

Instantly the temperature beneath the sheets begins to rise and Hinata can feel the pleasurably warm sensation of this person's heat tickling her skin. They shift so that they're facing her and Hinata's mind suddenly goes blank. Even in the dark of the night, she can make out this person's vibrant azure eyes. Her heart begins to thump wildly.

"Naruto?" she whispers hoarsely. He stiffens beside her, and after a pause of silence, replies with a, "Hinata?"

Relieved, she smiles. "What are you doing sneaking in so late?" she inquires softly.

"I stopped by the apartments but the old man said you'd already gotten my things," he says. "Thanks."

"Of course."

Naruto pauses, unsure of whether to tell her about his conversation with Tsunade. It would probably turn her off. Scare her, even. He didn't want to lose her. Not that way. So instead he settles on his conversation with Choji. Or, at least, the good part. "I met Choji today."

"You mean the guy with the food records?" Hinata asks with wide eyes.

"Yeah. He's working with the old man. I don't know why though."

"So what's he doing back?"

Hinata tries to shift closer to him as discreetly as possible but the blond notices and grins to himself. His hand finds her wrist and with a yelp from the girl, he pulls her closer to him. "Much better," he says as her hands lie gently against his bare chest. "Choji told me that we'd have that contest on Saturday. He didn't even give me time to respond." He laughs.

"He's pretty excited, huh?" Hinata says, and Naruto can practically hear the happiness her tone carries.

"Yeah… He's leaving again soon, though. I won't have much time to see him. Plus, he's probably going to leave with a broken heart."

"Why?" Hinata asks with furrowed brows.

"Because I'm gonna beat him and take his title." Naruto says with a smirk.

The two lie there in content, Hinata's cheek resting against Naruto's chest while his cheek rests against the top of her head. And then Hinata breaks the silence. "You know we each have our own beds, right?"

Naruto's heart plummets into his stomach at her words. "Oh crap," he mutters while releasing his hold on the girl. But she stops him by wrapping her arms around his waist and whispering, "Don't leave me."

He stares down at her in a mixture of shock and relief. "Of course not." He plants a kiss to the top of her head before feeling her fall limply into his arms. The sounds of her soft snores tickle his ears with pleasure. He falls asleep with his head resting against hers.

…

Naruto gets up early that morning to ready everything. First he wriggles out of Hinata's gentle grasp, placing a pillow underneath her head to replace his absence. Then he searches for the empty bed out of all of the sets and undoes the sheets, rumpling them and the pillow so that it looks as if he'd slept there all night.

"Neji won't suspect a thing."

Then he steps into the shower, rubs himself of all of the grime from the previous day and thinks hard about Tsunade's words. It's all he can think about. But this wasn't the time for sexual thoughts, or even sexual problems. He needed to learn fire bending, and he needed to learn it today.

Choji's words had really sparked a fire of realization in him. Orochimaru was coming soon and he needed to be ready. Who knew when he'd have all of the bodies he needed to do whatever it is he's planning on doing?

_You'll do fine…_

Those were Choji's words. Choji thought he was a great guy and believed in him, but Naruto on the other hand was a little more doubtful. _I'm just as Neji says… Immature and irresponsible. He doesn't trust me with Hinata's life, so how could he trust me with everyone else's? _

But the most important thing was: did everyone else trust him with their lives? 

After his shower, he quickly got dressed in the clothes he'd worn yesterday and went downstairs for breakfast. What really surprised him, though, was the fact that Sasuke was already down there. The blond appears beside the brooding Uchiha, who holds a mug of black coffee to his lips. His eyes reflect thoughtfulness.

"Can I sit?" Naruto asks. At Sasuke's nod, he takes a seat across from him. "What's on your mind?" he asks while picking at his shrimp and green onion omelet. Sasuke sets his coffee down and stares deeply into Naruto's eyes.

"Do you trust Kiba?" he inquires quietly.

It's so straightforward though that he might as well have shouted it. Naruto blinks, takes a minute to process his words. "I don't know." He says after a while.

"I don't."

Naruto raises his eyebrows, but Sasuke doesn't take the hint. "Why not?" he slips the fork into his mouth and chews.

"Kiba's calling dibs on your girl."

"What?!"

Sasuke shrugs. "He was harassing her yesterday, but Naruto," he places a hand over the blond's arm to keep him from standing up. Naruto stares at him in fury. "Don't mention it to either Kiba or Hinata."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because if Hinata thinks Kiba is a threat then she'll tell you what happened herself." Naruto settles back into his chair, ready to hear what advice and wisdom Sasuke has to offer. "She trusts you. You need to trust her too. If she thinks it's a problem then she'll tell you. Don't go breaking through the peace right to the source of the problem. It won't do any good."

He takes another sip as Naruto ponders his words. "What did he do to her?" he whispers.

"Nothing much, I don't think. He was most likely trying to make her knees shake."

"Sasuke…why are you doing this?"

"What?"

Naruto's gaze bores holes into his half eaten omelet. "Why are you looking out for me and Hinata?"

Sasuke stands up then. "Because nothing is fair in love and war."

He dumps the rest of his coffee into the trash, which Naruto thinks is just to look cool since no one dumps liquid into trashcans, and then he strides coolly back up to the room with his hands deep in his pockets. Naruto watches after him and then breathes, which, he notes, is the first time he has since his and Sasuke's conversation.

"Nothing's fair in love and war?"

…

The day starts off simple. Naruto and the gang head to the highest point in Air Kingdom: Mount Tsuki. It's actually the hottest place in all of Air Kingdom, even though the higher you climb, the colder it gets. This is because Mount Tsuki is at an angle to the sun's rays, and so the most rays hit that exact spot in Air Kingdom (I'm not good with science xD Just go along.)

"It's so hot up here," Ino complains. "Why do we all have to come along? It's not like the rest of us are learning fire bending." She crosses her arms. "The heat is literally rising from the ground!"

"It always does that when it's hot." Shikamaru points out, to which Ino ignores.

"I agree with Ino on this one," Tenten says. "It's so hot that you can see my breath in the air. And it's not mist, honey, it's _steam_."

"Stop complaining, guys," Sakura says. "Don't you want to support me and Naruto?"

Silence.

"He is the avatar, after all. He's going to save your lives whether you like it or not." Hinata adds.

"We're here," Sasuke says, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Look at me! I'm pooling in sweat!" Ino screeches.

"Yeah, we can smell you." Kiba says while plugging his nose. He and Ino exchange glares of lightning as the rest of the group heads to the center of the mountain.

"Here's why we're here, since I know you're all wondering why." Sasuke starts. "When you first start out fire bending, it's best to be somewhere really hot. It helps to open up the chakras and really get the fire inside of you blazing."

"So what do we do first?" Naruto asks eagerly.

"Calm down, dobe. First, I need the rest of you to take a few steps back. Maybe thirty feet away."

"Yeah, that's a few." Neji says with an eye roll.

"Okay, Sakura, Naruto, I want you two to do some basic stretching with me. Then we'll do proper fire bending stretches."

The three of them stretch it out, raising their arms over their heads, touching the floor, stretching out their legs, and cracking any stiff parts of their bodies. After the basic stretching, Sasuke teaches them "fire bending stretches." This consists of dance-like poses and heavy breathing. After they've performed the stretches and are soaked in sweat, Sasuke deems them ready.

"The fire chakra," Sasuke says in a loud voice. Almost as if he was speaking over a large group of talkative students. Sakura and Naruto jerk backwards. "-is located in the stomach. Normally, fire benders are hot headed and they do a lot of things that may, in later years, be regretted. So think about it long and hard. What do you regret?"

Naruto and Sakura close their eyes, and Sasuke, with a grunt, sparks a flame before their faces. The two fall backwards in shock. "What the hell?!" the two shout simultaneously. "I thought you liked Sakura's face!" Naruto says. "So why the hell are you trying to melt it off?"

Sasuke frowns. "This isn't a thinking process. Part of opening your fire chakra is being able to humble yourself. Admit all of the mistakes that you hold on your shoulders. What are your burdens? What do you regret? Say them out loud."

The two students share a look of uncertainty. "Naruto, you go first." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Okay…" he shifts in his spot uncomfortably. "Uh, do you want me to say everything?"

"It's the only way. You have to say everything that you remember. If not, you'll still feel guilty and won't be able to open your fire chakra."

"Well…" he bites his lower lip. "Can I say it to only you and Sakura?"

"HUMBLE YOURSELF!" Sasuke shouts.

Hinata winces, giving Naruto a sympathetic look. "Maybe we should leave." She says softly.

"No. You need to hear this."

Naruto gives Sasuke a skeptical look. What was he trying to do? What did Hinata need to hear? She didn't need to hear _any_ of it. So why?

Naruto's eyes widen. Had Sasuke set him up this morning by telling him Hinata and Kiba's incident? So he could come out with his hate for Kiba? If that was the case then the smug bastard before him was going to get a good whipping.

"Start." Sasuke commands.

"I regret…running away from my fate," Naruto starts. "I regret not being there when everyone needed me. When Granny needed me to protect her jutsu. I regret letting all of my old friends down and leaving them behind. Who knows where they are now…?"

Sasuke's gaze narrows.

"I, um, regret going into that store and buying those dirty magazines… I really regret doing that." He chances a small glimpse at Hinata, who is frowning in an unhappy manner. "I, um, regret hating the people I've hated and…"

Sasuke's gaze narrows even further, to the point where it hurts to stare Naruto down. But he doesn't stop. That wouldn't cut it.

"I regret being born." He finishes sadly.

Everyone is quiet for a second before Sasuke, being the unsympathetic jerk that Naruto makes him out to be, ushers him forward. Naruto climbs to his feet and stands before Sasuke with a look of betrayal on his face. He almost wants to hurt him with his own fire but pushes the thought away. He could never hurt him.

"Bend it." He commands. Naruto arches a brow in response but Sasuke says no more.

"Fine." He complies, and punches the air with all his might. Two things take him by surprise though. First of all, Sasuke doesn't move out of the way of Naruto's path. And second, no flames appear. He takes a step back, his whole body shaking. "Why?"

"Because you tried to be sneaky," Sasuke says. "You can't get away with that. Now tell them. Tell all of them who you really hate."

Naruto gnashes his teeth together in fury. He was setting him up, after all! How dare he? He clenches his fists by his sides and shouts, "I hate Kiba Inuzuka!"

Everyone gasps. Naruto directs his gaze at the shocked brunette and then closes his eyes. He can't take the look of shock and pain on the boy's face. "I'm sorry," he says softly. "I didn't want to say it but…"

"Why do you hate me?" Kiba asks in a cool voice. Naruto's eyes flash back to his.

"Why?" his sorrow turns to anger. "Because you tried to fucking steal my girlfriend!"

Hinata's hand flies up to her mouth. "What are you saying, Naruto? Kiba and I are just friends!"

"Not in his sick, perverted mind you're not!" Naruto shouts back. And while his words are directed towards Hinata, his gaze is steadily glued to Kiba's eyes. Kiba narrows his gaze.

"Are you jealous? Or are you just delusional?" he says, making Naruto's eyes widen in rage. "I wouldn't date her if she had a _for free _sign taped to her _plentiful_ chest."

And at those words, Naruto strikes.

He races towards the brunette and lifts his leg high in the air to round house him in the side of the head, but Kiba blocks it easily and sends a forceful kick to Naruto's side. He stumbles sideways, regains his posture, and sends an uppercut to Kiba's jaw. His head rolls backwards and he falls to the ground, but not before he can lift his knee to Naruto's "tools." The blond grunts in pain and stumbles back as Kiba falls to the ground.

Hinata calls his name worriedly but the boy is beyond the use of words or even comprehending them. He rises to his feet in one fluid motion and without thinking, punches the air. A burst of bright orange explodes in the air and burns Naruto's palm. The flame heads right towards Kiba's face, but Sasuke acts quick and throws another fire ball in its path. The two flames meet and it extinguishes before it can reach Kiba's nose.

Everyone watches in awe. Naruto turns to Sasuke in rage. "Why the hell did you do that!? I thought you hated him too!"

"Hn. I hate everyone. Besides, I knew that if you burned him then you'd never forgive yourself. And if that happened then you wouldn't be able to fire bend."

Naruto turns back to Kiba, staring down at him in disgust. The sound of shuffling feet alerts the boy and he turns in time to see Hinata racing down the mountain, soft whimpers escaping her lips. His heart grows heavy at the sight.

"Hinata!" he calls after her. "Dammit."

And then he races down the hill after the sobbing bluenette.

…

Naruto finds Hinata in the one place he knows he can find her. The river. Her feet are wading in the water with the cool blue liquid pooling around her knees. Her elbows are resting on her knees as her hands prop up her trembling head. Tears roll down her cheeks continuously, as if a damn that held all of the water in the world had broken. Naruto presses his lips together at the sight. A pang of both guilt and hatred fill his heart. Both the guilt and hatred were for hurting her.

He nears her, and although she can hear his footsteps, she doesn't let on to it. She keeps her eyes focused on the tiny pebbles and stones beneath the surface of the water. There were no fish or snails or anything of that sort in the river because the only animals up here were mammals that could fly.

"Hinata," Naruto addresses. She doesn't answer but he assumes it's safe to take a seat beside her anyway. She stiffens at his proximity, something that pains Naruto even further. "Are you afraid of me?" he whispers.

Hinata's eyes widen but she doesn't meet his gaze. She can't. So instead she just grunts. "I'm not afraid of you, Naruto." She says weakly.

"You're angry with me." He states the obvious.

"Why do you think?" she asks in a gentle yet wounded tone.

"I…because I hurt Kiba."

"Correct."

Naruto grits his teeth. "Do you like him or something?"

His voice rises above the norm but Hinata doesn't address this. She stays calm. Collected. "I don't like him, Naruto," she sighs. "But you weren't the only one who was wrong."

"What?" he slips his shoes off and lets his feet gently dip into the water. It feels good after the scorching of the heat on Mount Tsuki. His eyes graze the burn marks on his palm and he dips his hand into the water as well. It stings even worse than before and he quickly retracts his arm.

"I was wrong not to tell you about my and Kiba's incident. I shouldn't have kept it a secret," she notices Naruto's burned palm and moves closer to examine it. "Never put burns under cold water," she says. "Not burns from fire bending."

"Why not? I thought it helped."

She bends the river water with one hand and with the other rests Naruto's palm against her thigh. He blushes at the contact but doesn't mention the arrangements. Suddenly, the water takes on a greenish color and when she presses it to his palm, a sigh of relief slips from his lips.

"Because fire bending requires chakra. Chakra burns cannot be healed with water, especially dirty river water."

"Oh."

After a minute of silence and Hinata's aid, she releases his palm and turns her gaze to her knees. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

"No, I'm sorry," he says. "I looked like a monster out there."

"You're not a monster. You were just protecting me."

"Well yeah. Those things he said were unacceptable." Naruto's stomach flutters as the words _plentiful chest _swim around in his mind. "How dare he even look at your chest? And those things he said about not wanting to ever date you? That was out of line! And, dammit, you're no slut or whore! You'd never have a for free-"

Hinata silences him by leaning over and planting a kiss to his lips. His anger subsides for the briefest of moments and when she pulls away, Naruto grabs her wrist with his injured palm and places her hand to his chest. "Do you feel that?" he says hoarsely.

Hinata's thoughts turn to the last time Naruto had done this. Why did he always direct everything to his heart? Was she missing something?

"Do you feel this?" Hinata pries Naruto's injured palm away from her wrist and places it against her chest, causing the both of their faces to redden.

"Hinata-"

"Oh, that reminds me!" the girl says, cutting him off. "He hit you pretty hard in the, um…" she trails off with a blush.

"Oh yeah."

Naruto's "um" stiffens.

"Are they okay?" she asks quietly. And then her eyes widen in realization and she scoots away from him, her face a million times redder than Naruto's.

He grins. "You wanna check?" Hinata's blush turns from red to purple. "You could heal them with a little bit of that water magic, if you want." She turns away from him, breathing heavily. The very thought of Hinata's heavy breathing brings Tsunade's words to mind. "Never mind." He mutters in anger.

Hinata turns back to him. "Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad!" he says a bit too loudly. Hinata gives him a hurt look. "I'm not mad. It's just… Hinata, would you ever…I don't know, wanna do something like that with me?"

Hinata's lips begin to tremble.

"I…uh…"

"Don't answer that."

Hinata throws her arms around Naruto's neck in a sudden action and pulls his head into her chest. "Naruto…I'd never _not_ want to do that with you… It's just that you and I just started dating. That's a bit too fast for me."

"Nuhoo," Naruto says. His words are muffled by Hinata's shirt, and with a blush, she releases him.

"Sorry."

Naruto grins with a red hue painting the bridge of his nose. "I said no. I didn't want to do it with you now… Just for in the future."

"Oh." Hinata's gaze drifts to the water. "Then…yes."

Naruto swallows. "Would you ever-"

But before he can finish, something falling from the sky lands on his head, nearly knocking him unconscious. He looks up with his fist in the air, shouting to no one in particular. When he turns back to Hinata, though, he sees that she's holding a scroll. Her eyes scan the page.

"It's from Tsunade," she says. "She wants us to fly to Earth Kingdom."

**A/N: **I felt like I lost my writing style just before Kiba and Naruto's fight. Actually, I feel like that always happens when I have to write a fight -_- So I really hope that wasn't too bad! Please comment :) Remember, I did not get my coffee today!


	16. Who? Me?

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Sixteen~ Who? Me?

**A/N: **I feel like none of you are reading this… Which makes me sad. All of my readers have forgotten me or something because I "took too long to update." Whoever is reading this, please comment. It would make my night.

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

Tendrils of blond tumble down a pair of sleek shoulders. Bright azure eyes scan the surrounding area nervously. A young woman pulls on her short, green skirt. Tenten jabs the girl in the side playfully and winks. "What's wrong? Feeling a little immodest?"

The eighteen year old blushes at the comment and averts her gaze. "I don't like these short skirts. There aren't even any leggings underneath!"

"Pipe down," Ino shouts as she closes the door to their Inn room and locks it. "The boys are waiting with the, erm, Kyuubo." Ino's gaze trails down the length of the girl before her. "Hinata, with blond hair and blue eyes, you look exactly like that famous mind control user, Shion."

"You're right!" Tenten says with wide eyes.

"Oh no! What if they mistake me for her?" Hinata says apprehensively.

Tenten shrugs. "Shion was a bit of a slut…" she slaps Hinata on the back. "You'll fit in fine."

"But I-"

Hinata can say no more as she is dragged out of the confines of the Inn and into the public streets where she receives whistles and hollers. Naruto, his eye twitching at each whoot, shakes a fist to the air, cursing all of the young men passing by. The three girls reach the group of guys and Ino places her hands on her hips. "Where's Sakura?" she demands.

"She went to get brown contacts for Naruto." Shikamaru answers. "Apparently, his eyes are such a bright blue that the green contacts don't hide them at all."

Ino rolls her eyes at this. "Great. We'll be late."

"Late? We're just picking up some sake." Sasuke says.

"Whatever. I just want to get back here as soon as possible."

Hinata and Tenten share a confused look. "Is there something you're hiding?" Tenten asks.

"Of course not." Ino turns from them with her arms crossed.

"Then why do you want to get to earth Kingdom so quickly and then back?" Neji inquires nonchalantly. Ino curses him under her breath.

"Fine," she says, and turns to the others. "My father has a friend in Earth Kingdom. He was sent there as a slave." Everyone gasps. "I know, I know. But he married a woman there and now he's very wealthy. My dad and him keep in contact and, well, I'm a little worried that he might spot me and tell my dad." She shrugs.

"Those odds wouldn't be in our favor." Hinata says quietly.

"Then maybe Ino should go disguised too?" Naruto suggests. Then he retrieves the contact case from his pocket and shoves it at Ino. "You can wear these." Ino looks at them in disgust while pushing the boy's hand away.

"Naruto, you look so different without your whisker marks." Hinata says with a giggle.

"Yeah, you actually look half decent." Tenten adds with a snicker. Naruto glares daggers at the girl but she ignores him, instead finding her way to Neji to whisper something in his ear.

"Hinata," Naruto says. "You look great in that outfit." He grins foxily at her, causing tiny flaming needles to prick her skin.

"Thank you, Naruto." She mumbles under her breath.

"Hi guys!" Sakura calls while jogging up to the group.

"Well it's about time!" Ino says in irritation. Sakura raises an eyebrow, to which everyone shakes their head. She shrugs and hands the contact case to Naruto. "Hopefully these will due."

Naruto places the contacts into his eyes and blinks a few times. The blue has now disappeared, swallowed up by the mire brown. His hair is gelled back and a dark brown color. Sakura has applied makeup to his face to rid him of his whisker marks.

"You look stunning." Ino comments sarcastically before ushering everyone into Kyuubo's awaiting mouth. "Come on! Move it or lose it."

Once the nine of them, plus Akamaru, are boarded and comfy on their tooth stools, Naruto strikes up a conversation. "So Sakura, were you able to bend fire? I didn't get to see because Hinata and I ran off early." He casts a quick glance at Kiba, who has been awfully quiet ever since his near-death experience with Naruto. His eyes flick back to Sakura's as she speaks.

"I wasn't able to bend it."

Everyone is quiet for a second.

"Did you let it all go?" Shikamaru asks. But Sasuke is the one to answer.

"No. She didn't let it all go." Sakura's head snaps to meet his gaze. "You didn't let it all go. Some of the things in your mind are pushed so far back that you can just barely remember them, but trust me, they're there. And they'll resurface when the chance comes. You're not ready yet."

Sakura's eyes dart to her trembling knees. "Is that why I was never able to?"

"No." he says vaguely.

"Then why, smart ass?" she shouts.

"Because," Sasuke says coolly, unfazed by her temper. "What keeps you from fire bending is the fact that you can't let go of your fears."

"But that's not guilt-" she starts.

"Isn't it?"

Sakura's breath catches in her throat. What was he saying? That she was the cause of the fire? There was no way. Sure, she couldn't remember how the fire started exactly but it surely wasn't her fault.

"Think about it, Sakura. That's the sole reason that you can't fire bend. So why? The only thing that could be clogging your chakra is guilt about that day." He narrows his gaze on hers. "So what is the source of that guilt?"

Sakura has to close her eyes to keep herself from having an anxiety attack. Her heart was beating thirty miles a minute. Her whole body was shaking. She wanted to scream. But thankfully someone saved her from the attack waiting to take her down.

"So let's go over the plan." Neji says.

Thank Kami for that uncaring heart of his, or else Sakura would have just about died-slit her own throat, maybe. What was that feeling anyway?

"What plan? We get the sake and go." Sasuke says frankly.

"No," Shikamaru shakes his head. "Neji is right. This sake is high price stuff. This is actually a pretty risky mission."

"How so?" Hinata asks.

"This sake is a special potion of sorts. It has undefined traces of hyper-chakra."

"What's that?" Ino and Naruto say simultaneously.

"Hyper chakra is a special chakra that, with just a small dose, will give you the amount of energy that a summoning jutsu would need." Shikamaru explains. "It has a greenish color but doesn't smell like anything in particular. People put it in sake because the high percentage of acid diminishes the greenish color."

"So why is this mission dangerous?" Tenten inquires.

"Because the stuff is desirable and expensive. It's almost like drug dealing." Neji explains.

"Shit." Tenten curses.

"And why exactly does Tsunade want this stuff?" Sakura asks, finally able to join the conversation after taking a few deep breaths.

"Yeah," Tenten adds. "She mentioned that she needed it and where and who to get it from, but she never mentioned why."

"That's because the answer was so blatantly obvious she didn't think you dobes would need an explanation." Sasuke says. Sakura shoots him a look with a mixture of hurt and anger.

Shikamaru sighs. "If she drinks this then she'll regain the chakra levels she needs to perform her jutsu."

"Oh."

The next hour and a half is spent with Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sasuke playing cards. Hinata refused to since she would feel like she was playing strip poker in her current outfit. Sakura and Naruto both said they felt like shit and wanted some sleep and Kiba kept his mouth shut, glaring daggers at whoever looked his way.

Hinata crawls over to the sleeping Naruto and rests a hand on his powdered cheek. He opens one eyes, startling the girl. "You're awake?" she whispers.

"Yeah." Naruto rolls over so that he's facing Hinata and then smiles softly. "You really do look nice. And not like a slut." He presses a palm to her cheek. "That innocent, face of an angel could never look slutty, even if you were wearing a playboy bunny outfit."

Hinata blushes but places her hand on top of his. "Thank you," she whispers while closing her eyes. "I think."

Naruto pulls her into his arms and rests his chin on the crown of her head, and then the two lay like that, content in the sounds each other's breathing. Hinata breaks the silence though. "Naruto, have you spoken to Kiba yet?" she whispers.

"No." he frowns. "And why should I?"

His grip on her tightens as Kiba's unrelenting eyes bore holes into the back of his head.

"Because you've hurt him. And even if he doesn't have a heart, he still has feelings." She says softly. "Haven't you seen his agony?"

"I can _feel_ it, Hinata, don't worry about my perceptions."

"I think everyone can feel it." She pauses. "I think it would be best if you spoke with him."

"No way. He likes you yet doesn't admit it! And instead of jus shrugging off my comment he decides to play the zero-sum game." His voice grows quieter with each word. "How could he hurt you like that?"

Hinata's eyes ting with tears at his words. He cared that much for her?

She takes Naruto's hand and places it over her nearly bare chest. "I want you to be able to feel what you do to me," She whispers. "Every second of the day."

Naruto inhales the scent of her hair and his stomach eases a bit. "Thank you, Hinata."

"No. Thank you."

On the other side of the mouth, the group of card players sit in a circle with at least one article of clothing to their sides. "It looks like Hinata was right," Ino says with a snicker. "This did turn into strip poker."

"This will be sex poker if you lose any more clothes." Shikamaru comments huskily from her side.

Ino blushes at his words and stares down at her very revealing form. The only thing left on her was her white lace panties and Water Tribe shirt. Tenten laughs manically as Neji slips off one of his leg weights. "Stop delaying you fate, Neji-kun." She hisses sexily.

"Yeah, Kobi-chan?" he says, earning a glare from the brunette.

Across from those two sits a very bored looking Uchiha. So far all he'd lost was a shoe. The game was getting boring. Hell, it was boring from the moment they five of them started the game. Why? Because Sakura was lying behind him with her head buried into her folded arms and a black aura rising from her very being.

Maybe he'd been too harsh on her.

He scoots backwards until he brushes against the side of her leg. Then he sits there awkwardly while trying to gather his thoughts. What would he say? That he's sorry for trying to help her fire bend? That he's sorry she has so much guilt weighing her heart? Either way he looked at it, he wasn't to blame. _Why am I so righteous? _He thinks to himself in unknowing arrogance.

"Could you move?"

Those were the words that broke his train of thought. He stares down at the pinkette with knit eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"I said move. You're touching my leg." She repeats sourly.

Sasuke opens his mouth to retort something just as sour but finds that nothing comes to mind. So instead he just moves his leg and lies down parallel to her. She turns to face him, a frown engraved deep into her face. "What are you doing?"

"Lying beside you, like a good boyfriend." Sasuke answers.

She rolls her eyes. "Are you sure you want to date a _dobe_? Or how about someone who's such a _dobe _that they can't fire bend?"

So that's what had irritated her. He'd called her, indirectly, of course, a dobe. And then there was also the fact that he had mentioned her failure at fire bending and then had scrutinized her past. _I jinxed my righteousness. That's what I get for wanting to take share in her blame. I'm too good… I should have an award for being so giving… Maybe I could be a therapist? Or someone like Kiki (_Opera_), because I give so much…?_

He shakes the thought away with a sigh. "Sakura, I didn't mean you. I was so caught up with Ino's stupidity to even notice yours."

"Liar." She mumbles.

"I heard that!" Ino shouts, even though she's only seven feet away.

"And what do you mean "yours"?" Sakura growls.

"Oh, uh, I didn't mean-"

"Forget it, Uchiha. You make me sick." She turns away from him in disgust. Sasuke stares at her in disbelief. Although he didn't care to admit it, this girl meant more to him than anything. She was the reason he came back to Fire Nation and suffered the wrath of the people of Fire Nation. He slept on the streets, stole food from unsuspecting peoples, and he did it all for her. She hadn't even bothered to find him in all of those years but he was faithful. He waited for her. It was a miracle, really, that he even met Naruto. If he hadn't, he and Sakura wouldn't have been reunited.

But where did this leave them?

"Sakura," he says in a tender tone. The girl's eyes widen slightly at the sound of his voice, and with the slightest of hopes that he may be apologizing, she turns back around to face him. And just as she does, he takes the opportunity to grab her forearms and pull her into his embrace. "I've waited for years to be reunited with you. Haven't you been doing the same? Waiting for so long to be reunited with his bastard?"

Sakura giggles. "Yes." She nuzzles her cheek against his with a content sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Me too. Oh, and you're very bipolar." Sakura laughs again, causing Sasuke to tighten his grip on her. He needed to feel her skin. He needed to breathe in more of her cherry scented hair. He needed more of her.

"I…just want to be able to fire bend. No," she shakes her head. "I _need_ to." She pulls away from him so that they can look each other in the eyes. "Once I'm Fire Lord, I'll make sure your little problem is dealt with. As well as Shikamaru's."

"You're so perfect." Sasuke whispers while pressing his forehead to hers.

"I know."

…

It was well into the night when Naruto awoke from his dream. Actually, he hadn't been having much of a dream. The night had consisted of him falling in and out of consciousness; droopy eyelids, heavy breathing, confusion. He hated those feelings. But he knew why he couldn't sleep.

Hinata's words had been weighing over him and that was all he could think and or dream about. In each of his mini dreams, he was trapped in this vast sea of nothingness. He felt suffocated, like he was drowning. Kiba was far away from him, sitting with his knees to his chin, a glower raining acidic hate over Naruto's head.

When he woke, his thoughts drifted to Kiba and how he'd almost melted his face. Although Naruto wasn't sure it would hurt him much. He knew Kiba was impossible to kill unless he squeezed his heart into tiny, throbbing lumps but the thought still irked him.

The sounds of snoring brought ease to Naruto's aching heart and head. Hinata was snoring softly beside him, the sounds of her breathing calming him even further. He presses his cheek to her silken curtain of gold and closes his eyes once more.

"Are you awake, Naruto?" someone asks from several feet away. Naruto's eyes flutter open and his heart begins to thrum wildly against his chest.

"Kiba?" Naruto whispers back, careful not to wake Hinata by whispering too close to her ear. He cranes his neck away from the sleeping beauty and peers into the dark of Kyuubo's moist mouth.

"Yeah."

A pause of silence.

"Kiba, I'm so sorry about what I said yesterday-what I _did_. I wish I could take it all back." Naruto confesses.

"I'm sorry about what I said about Hinata." Kiba says. "That was out of line. And people who lie to themselves…are considered scum, in my book."

Naruto's eyes widen before a soft chuckle escapes his lips. "I guess we're bonded authors then."

"What?"

He hadn't expected him to get his cunningness.

"I mean, we both wrote that book." Naruto elaborates.

"Oh."

"Lying to yourself, huh? So you don't think Hinata has a plentiful chest?" Naruto smirks because he knows Kiba can't see him, but immediately feels guilty. He was so angered by Kiba's words that he'd wanted to kill him. So why was he smirking at this? Maybe because Kiba had finally admitted he was wrong.

"Hn. You tell me, Naruto." The blond, currently a brunette, blushes. Kiba sighs. "Nah. Hinata's no slut. Far from it, actually. And if she had the slightest bit of attraction towards me then I'd take my chances in a heartbeat." Naruto's smirk vanishes. "But why would she like me? I don't have a heart." He laughs sadly.

"Kiba, you're a great guy," Naruto says.

_Here comes the sappy speech, _Kiba thinks with an eye roll. 

"But you're an asshole."

The brunette's eyes widen.

"You gotta be able to think before you speak. And control your actions, too. Now, I know I'm not one to talk but really, dude. How could you say those things about Hinata? And to her face, too…?"

Kiba stutters his next words, taken aback by Naruto's statement. "I-I didn't mean any of them. It was just my way of a-apologizing for the way I'd acted the night before."

Naruto's brows furrow. "Calling her a slut is an apology? Maybe I should at that to the book so I don't forget. You know, the next time I need to apologize to a girl." He says sarcastically.

"No. I think I sort of scared her. Well, what I think I did was make her think I liked her. By saying those things, I wanted her to know that I didn't. And I'm not going to close in on your lady."

"Oh." Naruto says. "Well then, thanks."

Little did the two brunettes know that a certain sleeping beauty was actually a waking beauty. Hinata had been listening to the conversation the entire time, woken up by Naruto whispering loudly in her ear. She was happy to know that the two had made up, but Kiba's words rung loud and, well, not so clearly in her head.

If he didn't like her then why had he done that in the changing room?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Naruto tightened his grip on her and placed his chin back onto the top of her head. "Goodnight." He says to Kiba, who returns his words. Hinata presses her lips together, the sensation of Naruto's large, warm hands roaming her back. All uneasy thoughts seem to vanish at this pleasure and she lets herself fall back into a very sweet and wet dream.

But little did the three of them know that Sasuke had been listening in on the conversation as well. His brows furrow as the two boys fall back into unconsciousness. Had Kiba set Sasuke up? Had he known Sasuke would find the two and tell Naruto so that Naruto would be forced to let his anger out at Kiba during fire bending practice? If that was true then how did Kiba know so much about fire bending and opening the chakras? And why would he want Naruto to be mad at Sasuke anyway?

The other option for Kiba's actions would be he_ was_ closing in on Hinata, but not in a playful way. Was Kiba still working with Orochimaru? Had the two set this up so they could get their hands on Hinata? Or even worse.

Naruto?

…

The next morning, the teens split into groups. Shikamaru and Ino were in the first group. They were to pick up the bottle of sake since it would look odd if a group of teenagers showed up at the secretive shop asking for a bottle of chakra enhanced sake.

Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba were in the second group. They were running errands that Tsunade had also asked them to do while they were in Earth Kingdom. Their shopping list consisted of various oddities, such as snake eyes, fish scales, more sake, a special salt only found in Earth Kingdom organic markets, etcetera.

Neji and Tenten consisted of the last group. They were to meet up with a young man that Tsunade knew well. She said she'd healed him once from a very terrible condition while she was visiting Earth Kingdom incognito. They tried to stay in touch but it hadn't ended well. Earth Kingdom officials found out and imprisoned the young boy, who they were told was about their age. They were to retrieve him and bring the boy back to Air Kingdom.

_Nej and Tenten_

"Where's the jail located?" Tenten asks as the two walk down the limestone roads. As they pass a jewelry store called Earth Kingdom Treasures, Tenten catches a glimpse of her reflection and gasps. "Oh shit, Neji! We forgot to exchange our Water Tribe clothes for Earth Kingdom clothes!"

Neji glances down at his attire and frowns.

"Should we go into that clothing store and buy some?" Tenten asks worriedly.

"No, Tenten. If we walk in there then they'll pay special attention to our clothes since it is a clothing store."

"Then what do we do?"

"Tenten, this might not be the last time I tell you to do this."

"What is it?"

"Strip."

_The Groupies _

"Do we go to the black market or something?" Sakura says while scanning the streets for any markets. "I mean, where on earth do we find snake eyes and fish scales?"

"Earth Kingdom." Kiba says with a smirk.

Sasuke glances at him skeptically through the corner of his eye, to which the brunette doesn't catch.

"I say we find the salt first. That should be the easiest." Hinata suggests.

"Good idea," Naruto commends. "Then the sake?"

"Right."

"Okay, who about we split into two more groups?" Sasuke says, causing the other to raise their eyebrows at him. He shrugs. "We'll find this stuff a lot faster."

"You're right," Naruto says. "You and Sakura can find the hard stuff. Kiba, Hinata, and I will find the easy stuff." He gives a toothy grin before turning on his heel to continue down the street.

"Actually, I think Kiba should come with us." Sasuke says. Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba give him a questioning look, but Naruto continues on his merry way. Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I'm sure he's great at finding this stuff since he works with potions. And this is the kind of stuff you put in potions, I presume." He covers.

"Oh, that makes sense." Sakura says. Hinata nods.

"Yeah, okay." Kiba says and crosses to walk beside Sasuke. "Bye, Hinata. We'll meet up with you two later." They share a parting smile before Hinata races to catch up with her eager boyfriend, tugging at the hem of her skirt all the way.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba start down the opposite road, Sakura inquiring which kinds of materials Kiba puts into potions and bugging him to no end. She asks about his sense of smell and if he can sense where the snake eyes and fish scales will be, to which Kiba grits his teeth and says he has no clue. But as those two play twenty questions, Sasuke is pondering what the brunette could possibly be up to.

_I can't let him out of my sight._

_Shikamaru and Ino_

The day is dreary, most likely because of the rain incident Tsunade had informed them about earlier. The sky was grey, mist hung in the air, and the smell of dirt and rain was absolutely suffocating. Shikamaru and Ino started down one of the first alleys they'd seen all morning. They followed the instructions Tsunade gave them very carefully.

But it wasn't until they'd gotten further into the city that they started to see the wanted posters. Shikamaru and Ino stop in their tracks as another alley comes into view. But this alley is different. For one, there are loads of people inhabiting it. Secondly, plastering every inch of the two walls are posters with Ino's face on them.

"Oh shit." Ino breathes.

"I think that friend of your dads has taken his worries for you seriously." Shikamaru says. As soon as someone's eyes lock with Ino's, though, he takes her hand and dashes out of view of the people. Loud shouts and hollers can be heard from behind but neither turns back.

That sake was as good as gone.

_Neji and Tenten_

Tenten was on her knees, her hands clasped in a begging motion as she stared up at the woman before her. "Please," she says weakly. "It's so cold and I fear it will rain, even though it would be good to cleanse my filthy skin." The woman narrows her gaze on her flawless skin and Tenten quickly scoops up some dirt from the ground and cakes herself with it, adding a cough from the dust. "Please!"

The blackette rolls her eyes and complies, handing Tenten a peasant's outfit. An ugly grey dress with grey stocking and a pair of white underwear that looked suspiciously dirty to Tenten. But for the sake of the mission, she takes them with a grateful smile and for good measure, smothers the woman in a grateful hug.

The woman pushes her away in disgust and enters her shop, slamming the door behind her. Tenten turns to Neji, who is already fully dressed in peasants clothes (grey overalls and a dirty looking white undershirt) and she gives him a thumbs up.

Neji ushers her into an alley and stands before her with crossed arms. "Hurry and dress. It was hard enough watching those men stare as you stripped down in the street."

"You idea. Not mine." Tenten says as she slips on the underwear with a grimace. "And because it was your idea, you _so _owe me!"

"I'll wash your glory hole as soon as we're back in Air Kingdom," Neji says in irritation. "Now hurry."

He impatiently takes the dress out of her fumbling fingers and slips it over top of her head. As she straightens it out, Neji takes the liberty of combing through her hair with his fingers. "You'd look nice with braided hair." He comments absentmindedly.

"Um, thanks?"

The two of them start down the streets, no longer conscious about their attires but forever uncomfortable in their filthy clothes. They ask around, grab at maps whenever they can, and finally, after half an hour of searching, come up to the jail.

"This is it." Tenten says.

"Remember your lines?" Neji inquires.

"Of course. And come on. Did you not see the way I acted back there?" she snorts. "Compared to that, this should be a slice of cake."

"I sure hope so."

_Naruto and Hinata_

"This is a slice of cake!" Naruto says with a grin as he sets the cylinder of salt and various bottles of sake on the checkout counter. Hinata smiles at his optimism and places the money on the counter for the old man. When her eyes meet his, though, her heart spreads its wings and flies up her throat.

He was watching her with light grey eyes, almost surreally clear. But it was the look in that that scared the living shit out of her. It was one of those moments where the protagonist in a horror film looks up to see the murderer staring her down with a cynical expression. And although this man wasn't wearing a cynical expression, it sure felt like it.

"Hi," she says, and gives him a smile. But his eyes remain on hers and his lips keep themselves shut tightly. Naruto drapes an arm around her shoulder, sending the man a dirty glare.

"Could you please give us our items?" Naruto says politely. But his tone suggests otherwise. The man lifts a hand in the direction of the bagged goods, but at the last second reaches for the phone on the counter. In a very rushed motion, he dials a number that neither Naruto nor Hinata caught.

"Yes, Shion is in my store. Please come quickly." The man says in a fearful tone.

"What?" Naruto demands angrily. "This is Hinata. I don't know who this Shion person is but-"

"Oh no." Hinata whispers with wide eyes.

"What?" Naruto turns to her with a quizzical expression.

Hinata doesn't meet his gaze. Hers is locked on the old man's who, this whole time, hasn't taken his gaze off of hers.

"Shion…"

And before you can say ramen, at least ten men burst through the wooden doors, breaking the already splintered wood into pieces. They're armed with large stones held over their heads and whips that look to be made of either dirt or rock. Naruto and Hinata gulp.

"Shion, there's nowhere to hide." A man says. "Step over peacefully or we'll use force."

Hinata is about to take a step towards them when Naruto shouts, "No freaking way!" and bends the earth beneath their feet like a rug. The men fly into the air, as if they were on a trampoline, dropping all of their weapons. They use that moment to get away.

Naruto takes Hinata hand and bends the ground beneath them so that they're overtop of the nearly unconscious men. And then he uses one hand to push the stepping stone they're on out of the door and the two of them make a run for it.

_Shikamaru and Ino_

"This is bad," Shikamaru says while tugging at the already worn out Ino. She inhales deeply, wheezing.

"I…can't go…on." She says between breaths. Her movements slow with each step. Shikamaru decides to take action and throws the girl over his shoulder just as three of the men catch up with them.

"You," one says while pointing an accusing finger at Shikamaru. "Release her!"

"No," Ino wheezes. "He's with…me…"

The men's gazes dart between the two teens unbelievingly. And then, without warning, one of them attacks. It's the man wearing the dark green overalls with the half shaved head. He bends the earth in sharp tendrils and directs them towards Shikamaru's gut. Shikamaru curses and moves out of the way, Ino stumbling out of his arms.

Another slender fingertip of stone reaches towards Shikamaru and slices his left cheek just as he rolls out of the way. Once safe, he performs his mind control and the man controlling the stone weapons drops to his knees. Shikamaru also falls to the ground, landing on his side. The men watch in both horror and fascination.

The man in the green overalls stands up then and begins to walk back towards the alleyway he came from. The two other men watch after him in confusion just as Ino comes to. Her eyes find Shikamaru's unconscious body and she gasps. Just as the scene registers, though, she takes hold of Shikamaru's waist and heaves him onto her lap. Just then, his eyes open and a smile graces his lips.

"You're okay." He says.

Ino nods, her eyes smiling brighter than her lips. And then she presses her face to his and the two share a very passionate kiss. Ino's hands hold Shikamaru's face in place as the pineapple head lets his fingers roam idly through her hair.

The two men watch in disgust as they continue to make out in front of their very eyes. They turn to each other. "We need to tell the master." One says.

"Right."

And then the two head in the opposite direction of the other man. Shikamaru and Ino pull away, breathing heavily, and then their eyes widen.

"Oh no!"

_Sasuke, Sasuke, and Kiba_

"I don't know, Sakura," Kiba says in an annoyed tone as the pinkette pesters him some more. Sasuke sneaks a peek at the annoyed brunette and grins.

"Then does Akamaru help you sometimes? Can he sniff out plants too?" she asks eagerly.

"There are certain things he's trained to-"

"Oh, does he know which ones are poisonous or not? Because that would be pretty bad if he didn't." she continues.

"Okay, Sakura, enough." Sasuke says with a chuckle, earning an annoyed grunt from Kiba. "Oh look. What's this?"

"The Sea View Market?" Kiba says as he reads the sign on the store window.

"There aren't any seas in Earth Kingdom." Sakura says.

"Maybe they have seafood that's imported from Water Tribe." Kiba suggests.

"Only one way to find out." Sasuke says.

The three enter the shop, and at the sound of the bell, almost everyone turns to look. Their gazes narrow on the three teens who are dressed in Water Tribe uniforms. One woman's gaze turns to the dog at Kiba's side and she snarls, surprising the three of them.

"What's with these people?" Sakura whispers to Sasuke as she grabs a hold of his arm.

"I don't know, but stay in my sights, okay?"

"I'm not letting go."

Kiba ushers the two over to a whicker basket filled to the brim with shellfish. "So they do have seafood." He says. "I wonder if they have what we're looking for."

"I don't think snakes are categorized under seafood." Sakura says quietly.

"True."

"Did you hear about the blood bending scroll?" someone says from behind Kiba. Sasuke and Sakura share a surprised look.

"No, what?" an elderly man says.

"Well I heard from a very pretty redheaded woman that the Avatar had hold of the scroll."

Sakura's eyes widen as Sasuke's gaze narrows on the man.

_Karin, _he thinks. _Orochimaru must have set her up._

"Hey guys, I found the fish scales." Kiba says while holding up a slimy bag. "Now all we need is the…Hey?" he waves a hand in their faces. "Anyone home?"

"So then the Avatar is a criminal?" the other man says in surprise.

"Of course he is! Anyone who isn't the master and says he has power over anyone else is a criminal, you nincompoop." He slaps the man upside the head.

"Oh, right…It's just...Isn't the Avatar, like, our savior?"

"Shhh!" the other man scolds. "Don't say that!"

"The Master?" Sakura whispers. "Who is that?"

"More importantly, what have they done to the villagers?" Sasuke says.

The two elderly men look up at the same time and both of their gazes meet Sasuke's. Sakura's grip on his arm tightens.

"Oh, I found fish eyes! Do you think those could substitute?" Kiba says obliviously.

Substitute for Sasuke's eyes after those two men tore his out? Nah. Probably not.

**A/N: **:D That was EXTRA long-6000 words- and it's now midnight. Plus I have church tomorrow -_- COMMENT!


	17. Genjutsu Can Be a Beautiful Thing

Book Two~ Fire

Chapter Seventeen~ Genjutsu Can Be a Beautiful Thing

**A/N: **Hi guys :) Don't be afraid to review… I just wanna know what everyone thinks so far so if you've never reviewed before, please, just once, review and tell me what you think about the story. Any critiques? Suggestions? Praise? You name it. Thanks and enjoy!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

Something happens as Naruto and Hinata fly over the city of Earth Kingdom, desperately fleeing the clutches of the AMBU officers. The scenery of Earth Kingdom seems to change. Even though they've flown over Earth Kingdom quite a few times, they've never seemed to notice the fact that the central part of the city is all dirt roads, concrete and stone buildings, old houses, and homeless people wandering the streets. But as you near the outskirts of Earth Kingdom, everything starts to change, starting with the roads.

The ground is nothing but grass and dirt. Back in the city, there wasn't a single blade of grass. There also wasn't a single body of water, when out in the rural part of Earth Kingdom, there are flowing springs and ponds and marshes. Trees of every kind are scattered about the lands, growing so close together that the tops look to be woven together, like a scarf or quilt. But the really amazing part of it was that each and every tree was different. There was a Sakura Tree here, a Maple there, an Oak over there…

It made it a very colorful, vibrant woodlands, one that reminded you of cotton candy and maple syrup. It would have been a sight to see in fall. Too bad they'd never be coming back.

Hinata clings tighter to Naruto's waist and lets out a distraught sigh, except it's more of a grunt. Naruto looks down at her and gives a sympathetic smile. "Hey, don't worry. Just because everyone else thinks you're that whore it doesn't mean you look like one." He rubs her shoulder to comfort and ease her troubled mind but it does no good.

"That wasn't what I was sighing about." She says.

"Then what?"

"I don't know," she shrugs. "I just…have this feeling in my chest."

"Is it from being so close to me?" Naruto jokes with a grin. Hinata glares up at him but her sour mood vanishes instantly at the sadness behind his goofy cover.

"Yeah," she says and nuzzles her cheek to his chest. "I guess it is." Naruto's smile reaches his eyes and he encircles his arm around her entire body instead of just her waist. "I'm sorry for being a snot." She whispers.

"It's no problemo." Naruto says with a chuckle. And then the laughter dies off and the moment is ruined. "Hey, haven't we passed this boulder before?"

Hinata removes herself from Naruto's haven of a chest and glances down below them. And there it is, clear as day: the boulder they passed at least half an hour ago. And the way she could tell was because a large bird had perched there the last time they'd passed it and that same bird was still there. Hinata's brows furrow. "Yes."

Naruto releases his bending on the dirt and the two ever so slowly descend towards the lush meadows below. Hinata's blond hair swarms around the two like a curtain as the breeze picks up, and her skirt follows suit. She presses the fabric to her thighs with both hands, a rosy blush dusting her cheeks. "Maybe we should get somewhere less…windy." She suggests.

Naruto grins toothily and shakes his head, mouthing a "nah." Hinata's cheeks flush even brighter at his refusal. But the embarrassment is gone when Naruto's face falls in realization. "I know why," he says. "We're under a genjutsu."

"What?" Hinata says in shock. Her eyebrows rise to her hairline. "By who?"

"By the AMBU officers." Naruto explains.

"Oh no, I think you're your right." Hinata places one hand on Naruto's chest and the other on in between her legs to keep her skirt from flying up. Her eyes rake over the surrounding area. "Could all of this be a genjutsu?" she whispers sadly.

"No." someone says from behind them.

Naruto and Hinata whip around, taken completely by surprise. "Who are you?" Naruto says with furrowed brows. The man before them has dark hair and olive skin, obviously not from around here. He wears a glossy, black drench coat and sunglasses, indicating that he's neither a commoner nor monarch from Earth Kingdom. So what was he doing on these grounds?

"My name comes after yours." He answers in a low voice.

"There's no name alphabet!" Naruto shouts back. "Now stop screwing with me!"

"Um, Naruto," Hinata whispers. "I think he meant he'll tell you his name after you tell him yours."

"Oh…" Naruto crosses his arms with a pout. "Fine. The name is Naruto Uzumaki." He raises his eyebrows. "And yours?"

"Oh." The man says, causing Naruto and Hinata to sweat drop. "My name is Shion Aburame. And you're the avatar, I presume?"

No one, not even Poe, could describe the look of shock on Naruto's face. "How did you know that? I thought it was a secret."

"A secret? My dear lad, nothing is a secret from me." A glare of light reflects on his glasses, giving the man a mysterious air.

"And who are you, exactly?" Hinata asks. "I see you have an accent. Are you from here?"

"I come from the Land of Tea where we learn to bend the juices from herbs to create things such as tea, medicines, and sometimes broths."

"So why are you here?" Naruto inquires.

"I'm on a mission," he says. "It's a secret so I cannot tell you, but I will inform you of one thing." There's a dramatic pause, to which Naruto and Hinata sweat drop again. "The Master of Earth Kingdom wants your head."

There's a deadly silence that follows and then Naruto steps forward.

"Why?" he asks.

The wind picks up its speed once again and both Hinata's hair and skirt go flying. Shino's cheeks, from what is shown in between the collar of his coat and his bulky glasses, turns a light shade of pink, which Naruto does not fail to notice. Shino clears his throat.

"I don't know why. I'm doing the best I can at research but… The man has his ways of keeping me out. Like this genjutsu, for instance."

"I thought that was to keep us in." Hinata comments from behind Naruto. "Us, particularly."

Shino shakes his head. "No, this is to keep me out."

"So earlier when you said that this wasn't just a genjutsu, what did you mean?"

"I meant that the forests and meadows weren't a part of the genjutsu. This genjutsu in particular is to keep you walking in circles. It doesn't change the scenery, though. In fact, it's almost like a movie tape. It's as if they keep rewinding it and rewinding it so you're always stuck in the same exact spot. No new plots and no new places."

"So then why is it rural out here and urban back there?" Hinata asks.

"I don't know. It's all a part of my mission to find out, though."

"Back to me," Naruto says. "Has the "Master" said anything about me?" he air quotes master with his fingers, a crooked frown deepening his features.

"All I've heard so far is that you're a threat to his power and he wants to squash you," he pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "…Like a bug."

Hinata clears her throat.

"And you," Shino says, addressing Hinata. She raises her eyebrows, pointing towards herself in question. Shino nods. "Your name is…Shion, correct?"

"Oh, no," Hinata lets out a frustrated laugh. "My name is Hinata. I'm in disguise."

"As Shion…?"

"Erm, no. I just so happen to look like her is all."

"Yes, except her eyes are more of a lavender color, not blue… Is that your normal eye color?"

Hinata swallows. "No…my normal eye color is…lavender."

Shino nods his head slowly, unbelievingly.

"Really, I'm not Shion. I would never wear these clothes and blond is the ugliest hair color-" her eyes dart to Naruto. "Except for your hair color! Your hair is golden while Shion's is platinum, which reminds me of Tsunade-sama without her jutsu cover…and, well, I'm not a mind-"

Naruto frowns. "Hinata, you don't need to explain yourself to him." She stands there with her mouth hanging open. "And also, my hair is sexy." He whispers.

"Yes…" Shino says awkwardly. "No worries, darling, I believe you." Naruto turns on his heel to glare at Shino. "So what are you two doing out here?"

"We're on a mission to get some sake." Naruto answers vaguely.

"And also to pick up a friend." Hinata adds.

"So why are you two out here in the countryside? And Hinata, why are you in disguise?" Shino frowns. "And Naruto…Hinata addressed your hair as golden…?" he strokes his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm in disguise too," Naruto says. "The hair is fake, as is Hinata's. And Hinata and I are running from the AMBU officers."

Shino opens his mouth to ask why when Hinata says, "Because they think I'm Shion." He nods.

"So then…you two are in disguise because…?"

Naruto gives an exasperated sigh while flailing his hands high over his head. "Do you want to hear our whole life stories? I mean, come on, dude! Just tell us how to get out of here and we'll be on our way!"

"Naruto…" Hinata scolds quietly.

"No worries," Shino says. "I'm just a curious man, is all. But as to your quest to flee this genjutsu, well…"

"Well what?" Naruto presses.

"You cannot leave."

…

Sasuke's lips tighten into a thin line. These men…something was off about them. Something was off about all of the people of this Kingdom. And Sasuke had reason to believe their odd behavior was due to this "Master."

The one man's eyes dart to Akamaru who is standing idly beside Kiba, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. They flick to Kyuubo, who is cradled cozily in Sakura's shopping basket. Tenten had asked Sakura to take Kyuubo because her and Neji's mission was too dangerous for the kitten to be involved in.

The man scoffs at them in disgust. "No pets are allowed in stores." He says.

Sasuke almost lets out a breath of relief. They were only worried about the pets.

"Those three have animals with them!" a woman shouts from the other end of the store. The three of them turn their attention towards the woman, who is caressing a bag of squid to her cheek in a crazed fashion. Behind her, the man manning the counter gives Sasuke and the others a dirty glare.

"No animals." He says darkly.

"Akamaru isn't an animal!" Kiba shouts defensively with one clenched fist raised in the air. Sasuke places a hand over Kiba's fist and lowers the brunette's arm back to his side.

"Go outside, you two." He commands quietly. He motions for Sakura to hand him the basket and she does, scooping Kyuubo into her arms and following Kiba out the doors of the shop. Everyone's disgusted glares turn to Sasuke, who grunts in return and busies himself with shopping.

Outside, Sakura and Kiba glare at the ground. Kiba kicks at a pebble. "Why are they so rude?" he mumbles.

"I don't know," Sakura says quietly. "It's almost as if they've banished animals from this place." Kiba's head snaps up. "What?" Sakura looks both worried and confused.

"Sakura, have you seen any animals around here since we arrived?" Kiba inquires.

"Not…really…" she says while thinking back to their arrival. Then she shakes her head. "Maybe not; why does it matter?"

"I think they've banned animals." Kiba says excitedly.

"Why are you so excited, Kiba?"

"Well," Kiba's grin turns into a disappointed frown. "I don't know. I thought maybe I had a lead."

"Well for our sake, let's hope you don't have a lead," the pinkette says, and turns towards the empty streets. "It's so vital that we get out of here alive and in discretion, too. Naruto and Hinata's lives are on the line."

"Not just theirs," Kiba adds. "We're all in this together. Neji and Tenten are performing a jail break, Ino and Shikamaru are drug dealing, and Naruto and Hinata are traitors of Earth Kingdom. We could all die if one of us slips up."

"I think we already have." Sakura says quietly.

Just then, the door to the shop opens and out walks Sasuke carrying a bag filled to the brink of items. "I found everything," he says while holding up the basket.

"That's great," Kiba says enthusiastically as he grabs the basket from Sasuke's hands.

"Hey!"

_Kiba…_ Sakura thinks. _How do you do that? Turn your frown into smile within a split second…even when your heart is grieving…? Does he fake his emotions all of the time? Does he even…have emotions? _

Sakura is shaken out of her thoughts as Kiba is shoved into her. "Wha-" she blinks, which is all the time it takes before the sting of a forceful slap vibrates on the surface of her skin. She falls to the dirty ground, skidding on her backside until she's reached a wooden streetlamp. She grunts at the contact from the wood and her hand flies up to cup her cheek. Her eyes open but her vision is blurred with tears. All she can see is a silhouette before her, walking steadily closer. She blinks the tears away quickly and gasps as someone's foot comes in contact with her jaw.

Her head hits the streetlamp and immediately she's knocked out.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouts from his position on the ground. His fingernails dig into the ground, splintering from the pressure. He bars his teeth. "You bastard!"

The man before him, the bastard, is thrown into a stone bench by Kiba. The brunette is breathing heavily, blood smeared across his forehead. Akamaru barks loudly beside him and takes a large bite out of the man's grey overalls. He howls in pain.

"Serves you right!" Kiba snickers in triumph. Just as he turns back to help Sasuke up, he's knocked to the ground with a forceful punch to his left jaw. Kiba's head lolls before blackness overcomes him.

"Damn you!" Sasuke screeches at the top of his lungs.

"You're not from here, are you?" the man before him asks with a small grin. "I can tell from your clothing. You're from Water Tribe." Sasuke curses under his breath. "You'd be great intel for our Master. So would your friends." And before Sasuke can even take another breath, the man's got him in a dizzy spell. Sasuke's body sprawls out on the ground and he's drug into unconsciousness.

…

Two commoners, their skin caked in filth, their eyes full of terror. That's all the prison guard could see before him. The girl, who looked to be about seventeen, scratches at her crotch, causing something in his pants to tighten. The boy beside her swats at her hand.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Ahem, my name is Dougu and this is Kobi," the boy says. "We're here to see Lee-san."

"Visitors for Lee?" the man reiterates. "Lee's never had visitors in his life."

Tenten's chest tightens in empathy.

"We're distant relatives." Neji states.

"Alright, right this way. But one at a time."

"That won't be necessary," Neji says. "Kobi and Lee don't get along. There's friction in the air when they're near each other. May she keep you company?"

The man looks perplexed. "Uh, sure," he says. And then he opens the door to the cells and lets Neji in. He locks gazes with Tenten.

"Do you have an extra change of underwear, by any chance?" she asks.

The man's eyebrow twitches.

.

Neji's footsteps thunder throughout the still hallway. The floors and the walls were a ghastly pale color that almost resembled puke. There were no cells in this room. Nothing separated Neji from these criminals. He swallows nervously.

"Lee-san?" he calls softly. There could be cameras anywhere in this prison. He had to be on guard. "Lee-san?"

"Who's there?" someone says from the end of the hallway. Neji makes his way down there rather speedily, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

_My second prison break! This might become a habit…_

He comes to a stop when he sees a boy about his age. His hair is a dark black and hangs loosely at his shoulders. His bangs are cut precisely across his forehead, giving him an odd yet unique look. He's sitting with his elbows resting atop his knees, bent over.

His head lifts to meet Neji's gaze and suddenly, the beating in Neji's chest is not from thrill. His eyes were large and reflected nothing but loneliness. His eyelashes were long, fanning out over his skin. Neji could make out patches of fuzz peeking from underneath his bangs.

Lee rises to his feet, his whole body shaking in fear. "Another one?" he asks in a sad, frightened voice. "I'm…I've had enough of them. I can't feel them anymore. Please, spare me just this once."

The sight of this man, frightened, battered, and lonely, makes Neji's heart pang in guilt. _This could be me. This could be any one of us._

"I'm not here to hurt you, Lee-san." Neji says gently. Lee, untrusting, furrows his eyebrows. "I promise. Do you remember…?" Neji's eyes dart around and he leans in closer. "…Tsunade?"

Lee's eyes widen. "You…you know Tsunade?"

Neji nods. "She sent me to rescue you."

Lee's lips begin to quiver, startling Neji. His eyes are glossy with fresh tears and a trail of snot begins to slide down his lip. Neji tries to hide his grimace with a smile, coming up with more of an Elvis Presley impersonation.

"I can't believe it… I'm saved by such a youthful man as yourself!"

Neji's eyes widen. "Shhh!" he hushes. "There's a lot on the line here. You need to cooperate, okay?" Lee nods. "Alright, now come on."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Lee picks up a dirty sock and throws it at Neji, who lifts his arms to shield himself. But the sock doesn't make contact with his skin. Instead, he hears a slight buzzing noise and peers around his arms to see that the sock has fallen t the ground.

"I don't understand." Neji says.

"It's a genjutsu. A force field is more like it. I can't get out."

"That makes sense," Neji says thoughtfully. "That's why there are no prison bars."

"Of course not. Prisoners would just bend the material."

Neji nods. "Then we need to find a way to break it."

"I know who controls them." Lee says.

"Who?"

"The prison guard in the lobby."

Neji presses his lips together as a plan begins to form in his mind. "I have a plan but I'm not gonna like it."

…

"Is that so?" the prison guard says in mock interest as Tenten rambles on about how she had to beg for the clothes that she currently possessed because her old ones had been burned in a house fire.

"Yes, and then they gave me these dirty underwear. Please, have mercy on me." Tenten gives him a pleading look, sticking out her bottom lip. The man shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Please?"

"Fine." He relents and turns around to shuffle through one of the filing cabinet drawers. The door behind Tenten opens silently and Neji peeks his head through the crack. He throws his hair tie at her, gaining her attention. The brunette turns around, a scowl on her face. Neji puckers his lips and then points to them. Tenten's eyebrows furrow. He points from his lips to her and then to the prisoner guard.

Tenten's eyes widen and she shakes her head but Neji insists, pointing furiously at the prisoner guard. Her eyes are pleading but before her magic charm can work on him, he's gone. Tenten frowns. "Are these okay?" the man asks, ripping Tenten from her thoughts. She turns on her heel to face the man.

"You know…I'm not feeling as itchy as I am…" she swallows. "Horny."

The man's eye widen and before he can respond, she has her palms no his chest and her lips against his. He becomes weak in the knees and grabs her hips forcefully. Tenten inwardly grimaces. _You owe me one night of nonstop sex, Neji!_

In the prison room, Neji and Lee stand across from each other, throwing various items until finally, a dirty pair of underwear smacks Neji in the face. Lee's eyes widen and he hurriedly crosses the space between them to freedom. Neji throws the underwear to the ground, sticks out his tongue, and is enveloped in a grateful hug. "Thank you so much!" Lee says with tears of happiness.

Neji laughs nervously and pushes him away. "Come on, while he's still distracted."

The two hurry down the long stretch of the hallway before making it to the door. "Okay, now quietly…" Neji whispers and opens the door a crack to see Tenten and the prison guard making out with Tenten on his desk and him on, well, her. Neji scowls.

Lee's eyes widen. "Wow, who is that beauty?!" he exclaims quietly.

"My girlfriend."

Lee purses his lips. "It looks like you two have some problems to work out." Neji rolls his eyes and grabs Lee's wrist. He leads him out of the prison room and the two crawl across the floor until they reach the door. He motions for Lee to leave, and he does as Neji crawls back towards the prison room door.

He slips through the crack and rises to his feet, brushing off the dust. And then he walks through the door, alerting Tenten and the man. Neji clears his throat with a glare. "Kobi, Lee and I are finished." She nods and hurriedly rushes to his side, a pair of clean panties in her left hand.

"Where is he?" she whispers, and waves to the prison guard with a charming smile. The two exit and come face to face with a grinning Lee. Tenten's eyes widen. "Are you…Lee?"

"Yes," his smile widens. "I am Lee! And you are this man's beautiful flower!" Tenten blushes.

"How did you get out?"

"We snuck out while you and the prison guard were…ahem…making out." Neji explains, causing Tenten's cheeks to flush brighter.

"Which is too youthful for my taste." Lee adds.

"Anyway, I snuck him out and then snuck back into the prison room to make my exit." Neji finishes.

"Wow, I didn't even hear you." She scratches the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I'll take that as both a good and a bad sign."

"You so owe me!" she shouts while pointing her index finger in Neji's face, her other four fingers curled around the pair of panties. Neji places a hand over hers and lowers it.

"We should go before they find out Lee's gone."

_Inside:_

The prison guard straightens his tie while clearing his throat. "That was…something." He breathes. Suddenly, the door to the prison room bursts open and more than two hundred prisoners flash by in a grey blur. The man watches in stunned silence as they file out of the jailhouse, leaving him with a dirty pair of underwear.

…

"What do you mean we can't leave?" Naruto presses.

"You can't leave unless the genjutsu is broken," Shino explains. "The only way to break the genjutsu is if the Master is harmed in any way."

"Then we're stuck here." Hinata says softly as tears begin to pool in her eyes. Naruto drapes an arm around her shoulders and shushes her.

"Hinata, we'll find a way out, okay? Don't cry." He turns to Shino. "Let's make camp for the night. We can think of a way out tomorrow morning."

Shino nods in agreement and the two lead Hinata to an open space they deem worthy of their camping. Nearby is a glistening blue stream for them to drink and bathe in and overhead is the gorgeous plethora of trees. "This should keep us dry if it rains and cool when the sun rises." Shino states.

Naruto nods. "Hinata, do you want to take a bath?"

"There's no point in being a filthy mess if I'm going to stay here the rest of my life." Hinata says with a sigh, to which Naruto sweat drops.

"Hey Shino, you've been here pretty long, huh?" Naruto says. "How do you survive? Where's the food?"

Shino gives him a blank look. "There's plenty to eat. Fish and vegetable are a few. There are many gardens full of vegetables, fruits, and even grains. This is Earth Kingdom, after all."

"So we could live here." Naruto says with a grin. "Come on, Hinata, I'm gonna help cheer you up." He turns back to Shino. "Could you, uh, set up camp?"

"With what?" Hinata asks softly.

"I can use nature." Shino replies darkly before turning his back to the two. Hinata and Naruto share a look before turning towards the river.

When they reach the bank, Naruto peers over his shoulder to make sure Shino isn't looking. Then he turns back to Hinata and takes her hands in his. "I'm gonna cheer you up, okay?" he whispers. The sun is just beginning to set, casting a golden radiance over the emerald blades of grass, various colors of tree leaves, and most graciously, Naruto's amber hair.

Hinata blushes as his hands trail up her arms to her shirt collar. He begins to unbutton the fabric, causing Hinata to shiver as a breeze plants warm kisses along her neck and shoulders. He smiles softly and lets the piece of clothing fall to the ground at their feet. His hands glide down her hips, riding her curves like a rollercoaster, until the waistband of her skirt is between his fingers. He tugs at it and lets the skirt join the shirt on the ground in a heap.

Hinata bites her bottom lip and places a soft hand over his. Naruto's eyes dart to hers. The question was in his pools of brown. Did she want him to finish? She nods, a blush painting her cheeks a rosy color. Naruto smiles, lets out a relieved breath, and slips her underwear off. He moves to her bra and unclasps it. The two cups fall to the ground, leaving Hinata completely bare and shivering against the wind.

Naruto blocks her with his body, shielding her from the wind and anyone else's eyes. And then he begins to strip himself. He hurriedly throws his boxers to the ground and leads Hinata into the lukewarm water. The almost waxy feel of the water envelopes the two of them and Hinata shudders. Naruto wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into his chest. His chin rests on her shoulder. "Feeling better?" he whispers.

"Yes." She whispers back.

Naruto lets his palms lay flat against her stomach which is flat, other than the small ripples of her abs that just barely peek out from underneath her baby fat. Hinata backs into him, pushing herself against his groin. She shudders again. ""I wish we could stay like this forever." She comments, and scowls at the irony, causing Naruto to chuckle.

"We'll get out of here. I promise you. Although I must admit, if everyone else was here with us, I wouldn't mind staying her."

"Me neither." Hinata admits.

"I know this is selfish…but I don't want my responsibilities as Avatar. All I want…" his hands move back to her hips as his lips press lightly against her neck. "All I want is to stay here with you and our friends. Just like this. Like Adam and Eve."

"What I would give for that." Hinata murmurs. "But I'm the selfish one. Everyone else needs you two, but I'm just so selfish, keeping you all to myself." Naruto frowns and turns her around to look her in the eyes.

"You're the most giving person I know." Naruto says.

"Yeah, but when it comes to-"

Naruto doesn't let her finish. Instead, he plants his lips against hers and pulls her into an embrace. Hinata's hands play around in Naruto's hair as he plants several more kisses to her lips. And then he stops and pulls away with a sigh. "We are selfish." He laughs. "The others are risking their lives and we're here…almost doing it."

Hinata presses her chest to his, causing Naruto's cheeks to redden. "Naruto, I thought you said you were going to keep my happy."

"I did."

"Then do it." She whispers against his lips before closing her eyes and letting Naruto's kisses enchant her.

But to neither of their knowledge, Neji and Tenten were on their way with Lee. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba were on their way to the Master. And Shikamaru and Ino were on their way to a rude end.

**A/N: **I MADE YOU WAIT SO LONG! I'm so sorry, but it was worth it, right? RIGHT!? Please comment and tell me what you think :D

I mean it :3


	18. The Story of Shino

Book Two: Fire

Chapter Eighteen: The Story of Shino

**A/N: **Hi guys ^^ I feel like I lost some of you, but that's okay! We're moving on to bigger and better things so if you have moved on from me, it sucks for you. Badly. Anyway, no homework for the first time since we started school so… LONG CHAPTER!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does_

It was a miasma of stardust and pining and heat. All Hinata could do all night was toss and turn in a haze, swimming in and out of consciousness like a professional swimmer going for the gold. The stardust was, what she suspected, the genjutsu. The pining, well, the pining was for a certain blond, now brunette, who served as the heat source.

So when Hinata woke up in the middle of the night, it was no surprise to her that going back to sleep was out of the question. Her eyelids drooped heavily, as if something was physically weighing them down. Her hair was still wet from the earlier bath with Naruto and her skin was damp with sweat.

She slips out of Naruto's loose embrace and crawls towards the river where she dips in her feet and lays back on the grass to stargaze. The sky was darker than she'd ever seen it before and the stars were burnished. It almost resembled a studded leather jacket.

_Is this my future? Sleeping out here every night with no real sense of rest? Having to bathe in a river and never brush my teeth or comb my hair?_ Hinata's eyes widen suddenly. _Not brush my teeth?! I can't kiss Naruto with that kind of breath! And no deodorant either...This is a complete disaster. Not even the beauty of this place can take that away._

She closes her eyes, tastes her breath, picks at her fingernails. "This is so not going to work out." She murmurs while pulling her feet out of the lukewarm water and turning herself so that her head rests at the river's mouth. She then dips her head into the water, letting the plethora of silk claim her hair and pull it to the dusty bottom. She begins to runs her fingers through her hair when she hears the sound of grass crinkling under a foot.

A lethargic Naruto appears before her with rings under his eyes and grass marks across his face. Hinata bites her lip to keep any giggles from escaping as he approaches her. "Why are you out here? It's cold back there…without you." Naruto says quietly while taking a seat beside her. He places a hand on her bent knee and stares into her upside down gaze.

"I couldn't sleep. And I was hot." Hinata answers with mild interest. Naruto watches her for a second.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"Thinking about what?" Hinata inquires innocently.

"You're thinking about our possible future here." He clarifies, and then lies down beside her so that their noses are mere inches apart. "I was too."

Hinata averts her gaze back to the sky and lets out a disgruntled sigh. "I just want to go home, Naruto. I've been away for what seems like forever."

There's a pause of silence and then Naruto asks, "So then, you don't want to be with me?"

The question is so sudden, so impossible to even fathom that Hinata bolts straight up, straining to pull along her curtain of dripping wet hair. The water soaks her back as she turns to face the surprised Naruto. "I never said that," she says with the shake of her head, sending droplets of water into Naruto's face. "If I could, I'd bring you home with me. You know, have you live with me." She turns away and rests her elbows on her knees. "I just…I'm homesick, is all."

Naruto sits up too. "I never suspected you'd leave me that quickly." He's grinning at her now, his eyes shining brightly under the moon. Slowly, though, his smile turns into a frown and he places a hand on Hinata's back. "I want to be with you forever."

Hinata's eyes widen. "You…you mean, like, you want to…get married?" she squeaks. Naruto's cheeks redden to the point where it looks as if he's got a million zits on his face, and then he stutters:

"Well, not now, of course. I mean… I just wanted you to know that I'll love you…forever." His hands fall to his lap and he glances down at them, traces the crevices of his palm with his eyes. Hinata notices this and takes him by the wrist. His amber brown eyes meet hers.

"Let's decide right here if we're going to get married." She says, to which Naruto furrows his brows.

"What do you mean? Like, a competition?" he pumps a fist to his chest. "Cuz you know I'll win, for you."

Hinata smiles and begins to trace the lines on Naruto's palm with her index finger. Both of their eyes follow the path her finger takes until she whispers, "M," and releases his hand. Then she lays her hand palm side up and traces the lines. When she nears the end, they both whisper in unison, "M."

Hinata's eyes flicker to Naruto's. "So what does the M mean?" he asks.

"It means _married,_" She says. "So I guess we will be married. In the future, of course."

"The near future." Naruto adds, causing Hinata to blush scarlet.

The two sit there in silence for a moment, just taking in each other's presence. And that's when they notice it. Naruto and Hinata's eyes widen at the same moment, and in synchronization they shout, "Your hair is back to normal!"

Hinata's hands fly up to her mouth. "Our hair...we'll be recognized!" she exclaims.

"Damn right,"

The two whip their heads to the right to see Shino looming before them, only a few feet away. In one hand are his glasses and in the other, nun chucks. Hinata's eyes widen when her eyes land on Shino's. "Your eyes…they're…"

"Purple," Shino finishes. "Very good. You're not colorblind." He rolls his eyes.

Naruto rises to his feet, serving as a wall between Hinata and Shino. He narrows his brown gaze. "What the hell are you doing with those?" he asks while motioning with his head toward the nun chucks.

"I don't know,"

A shiver runs down both Hinata and Naruto's spines.

"That voice," Hinata whispers.

"Shino…you're a girl?!" Naruto exclaims.

Shino smirks and takes a step back, dropping her sunglasses to the ground. With her free hand, she slips her fingers underneath her hair and begins to peel off what Naruto and Hinata now realize is a wig. Strands of platinum blond begin to feather around her face and the bundle of black locks falls beside the sunglasses.

"Shion!" Naruto and Hinata shout in unison.

"What the hell?" Naruto exclaims. "What's going on? Why were you in disguise? And for the love of Kami," he lifts his arms over his head in an exasperated motion. "Shino? Really? That's so close to Shion, you practically gave yourself away!"

"As a matter of fact, I did give myself away," she says while crossing her arms over her chest. One of the nun chucks dangles at her side as the other is tucked beneath her crossed arms. "Just now."

"Why?" Hinata inquires.

"It's a short story, I guess. You already know half of it. Earth Kingdom hates my guts and basically wants me dead. I've been spying on them incognito. And why? Good question. It's because if _Shion _was spying on Earth Kingdom, it would be the start of a war, or my death. If _Shino_ was spying on them, he'd be just a minor threat and they'd lock him in a genjutsu. It was safer and smarter this way."

"So why did you lie to us?" Naruto inquires.

"It was all a part of my cover story," she says. "And besides, I had no clue as to whether you two were of Earth Kingdom or not. All humans lie and none of them can be trusted."

"Yeah," Naruto says quietly. "And that's why I'm going to change that."

Shion and Hinata stare at him in awe, silence enveloping the three until Shion lets out a sigh. "Well, now that I've told you, I guess I have to kill you."

"What?" Hinata's eyes widen.

"Then why did you tell us in the first place?" Naruto shouts.

"Because, I couldn't let you two die not knowing you met a celebrity."

And before either of them can act, Shion has charged at Naruto, her nun chucks gliding through the air in multiple circles. She rotates the gold weapon around her hips, and then behind her back where Hinata has snuck up, hitting the bluenette right in the jaw. "Hinata!" Naruto roars.

As he reaches out in an attempt to grab her wrist before she can hit the grass, Shion throws the nun chucks into the air and catches one bar, forcefully whipping the other end into the top of Naruto's head. He falls to the ground, blood trickling from his scalp. Hinata's eyes widen at the sight.

Shion smirks and turns on her heel, ready to strike Hinata in the head too. But the girl is on her feet before the blond can lay eyes on her. She jumps backwards, just at the edge of the river, and draws the water into the air with her hands. Shion's eyes widen as tendrils of water encircle her torso and clench her body. The water begins to slice at her skin, sending shrieks through the air.

"Don't you _ever_ hurt Naruto!" Hinata screeches.

Shion grits her teeth and raises her arms in front of her face, making a hand sign that Hinata had only seen once. Her blue eyes widen as her hands fall to her side and the water drops from Shion's now scathed body. The blond smirks. "You're wondering how I'm doing this, aren't you?" she says. "How can I be in my body and yours at once?"

She strides towards Hinata with a resentful gleam in her eyes. "I hate you," she says through gritted teeth. "Look what you've done to my body!" she motions towards the marks along her skin and then lets out a disgusted grunt. She places a hand on top of Hinata's head and traces the length of her hair right down to her stomach. "You've got nice hair, girl. Oh, what was that you said about my hair earlier? That is was a disgusting color?"

Hinata swallows.

"We'll see who looks disgusting after I'm done with you."

She reaches for the nun chucks at her side and begins to twirl them around. "You're wondering if I'm a good guy or bad guy, right?" At Hinata's shocked expression she adds, "I can read your mind, twerp. I'm in your head." She rolls her eyes. "Well, there really isn't an answer to that. I'm both good and bad. I'm good to my people…but to traitors? Not so much."

She pauses to read the new thoughts that cross Hinata's mind. "Why does Earth Kingdom hate me? There's more than one reason for that. First, they hate not me, but my country. I'm not from Fire Nation, if that's what you assumed. Sure, they've got all of the scrolls but I was born with this. I come from the Land of Wonder. It contains one village on a very small, volcano-ridden island. There, we practice many things. Reading minds, body swapping, and so on. Hence, the Land of _Wonders._

I think it was seven years ago when the Master of Earth Kingdom bombed our village. They wanted to use us as slaves for their own dirty purposes. We had refused their "offer" and so they decided to get rid of us. I was a very special child in my village. I could read the minds of those who stepped into our barrier. I knew before hand that they were going to bomb us and so we herded everyone into one of the underground caves. We escaped the bombing.

All but one, anyway. He was my little brother who'd been napping in the garden with our dog. My mother, in the rush, had forgotten him. Earth Kingdom soldiers found him cowering behind the dog, and decided to spare him because he was only three years old. They took him captive, though, as a slave. Their first slave from our village. They would have him mate with women to produce more of our kind and then Earth Kingdom would have a whole slave gang to use." She gnashes her teeth together as tears form in her eyes. She'd stopped swinging the nun chucks at this point. "His name was Shino."

Hinata's heart falls into her stomach as the name hits her like a ton of bricks.

"I…I've been on a quest to get him back ever since. But it's not just that. There's something weird going on behind the Earth Kingdom walls. That Master isn't just any dictator. He's brainwashed the people and…other odd things have been going on. I'm on two quests now.

So that's the first reason why they hate me. Our village refused to be their slaves and then escaped their bomb parade. The second reason is because I've attempted to steal my brother before." Hinata's eyes widen. "I was so close to him. I'd managed to get into the palace and I'd even found some very useful information. And that's when I saw it. It was sticky and clear and smelled like caramel. It oozed from the crack underneath a door in the palace, and from the inside I could hear moans."

Hinata's stomach clenches as the thoughts begin to whirl around in her head. Shion nods. "Yeah. It was my brother and he was…I think you get the picture. I was about to open it, retrieve him, when a guard found me and captured me. I don't know what happened after that. Someone saved me, I guess, because the next time I opened my eyes, I was back home." Her eyes fall to the ground. "Maybe it was all a dream."

Tears begin to stream from Hinata's eyes as she thinks, _I'm so sorry. _

Shion's eyes widen as fresh tears begin to well in her eyes.

"We'll help you,"

Shion whips around to find Naruto sitting cross legged in the grass, staring sadly at her. He's clotting his head with some moss he'd found against the bark of a tree. "I'm so sorry, Shion. Please, let us help you. I'll get your brother back."

She swallows, clenching the nun chucks tightly in her sweaty hand. "I…I can't trust you." She says in a hoarse voice.

"Yes you can," Naruto climbs to his feet and walks towards her. She thrusts her arms out in front of her, each hand holding a golden bar. But Naruto doesn't say a word. He doesn't tear his gaze from hers. Instead, he places a hand on top of the chain linking the two bars together and then grips it in his hand. "You can trust me," he whispers. "I'm the Avatar. I wouldn't let you down."

Shion's whole body is wracking with sobs, trembling with fear, sweating with apprehension. "You…you're…" she finally breaks. The nun chucks fall to her feet as tears cascade down her flushed cheeks. "You're the one!" she shouts while encircling her arms around his neck. Hinata's gaze narrows on the blond as she sobs into Naruto's chest.

Naruto's eyes land on hers and he shrugs sheepishly. "Will you let us help you?" he asks while placing a hand on the trembling girl's back. She sniffs up her tears and lifts her head to meet his brown gaze. "Yes," she whispers while rubbing her nose.

"Good. Now can you release Hinata?" he says with a small grin.

Her cheeks redden in embarrassment and she releases the jutsu, sending Hinata to her knees as she gasps for breath and clenches her head. Naruto is by her side in an instant, one hand on her back and the other placed against her cheek. "Oh, that's just a side effect." Shion says while moving away from the river and back up the small hill.

Hinata glares at the back of Shion's head, to which Naruto smirks. "Jealous?" he whispers while helping her to her feet. Once up, she stomps on Naruto's bare foot and lets out a huff.

"Damn hustler," she whispers to him.

"Hey," he grips her wrist with his hand and stares intently into her eyes. "I'd never cheat on you, okay? Even if you two do look alike." He gently places the pad of his thumb to Hinata's chin. "Remember our conversation?" Hinata looks down at her palm and smiles despite herself.

"Yes," she whispers.

"Well, keep that in mind the next time she tries to flirt with me." Hinata glares daggers at him, to which he ignores. He plants a kiss to her lips and then the two follow Shion up the hill and back to the campsite. Shion retrieves her wig and glasses before sprawling out on the grass beneath the trees.

"Sorry about that, Hinata," she says as the other two take a seat across from her. "I can't trust anyone. Especially not someone who looks like me." She cracks a smile, and it turns out to be contagious. Hinata leans her head against Naruto's chest and lets him wrap his arms around her body, his warmth radiating onto her chilled skin.

"Tomorrow," Naruto whispers. "Tomorrow, we'll find a way out of here and save your brother." Hinata tilts her head up to meet his gaze but his eyes are closed, sleep overcoming him. Hinata smiles softly and turns back to the frowning Shion. Hinata's stomach clenches.

_I don't trust her…_

"You're lucky, Hinata," the blond says, startling her out of her thoughts. Her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "You're so lucky you have someone to love. Especially someone like him." Her lavender eyes turn to Naruto's sleeping face and she smiles sadly to herself.

Naruto's arms tighten around Hinata's waist and she places a hand over one of his in response. "Hey Hinata?" Shion whispers. The bluenette's gaze flicks back to hers. "Is my hair really that ugly?"

Hinata closes her eyes. "No." she whispers before falling asleep. Shion stares at the sleeping couple for a second before turning onto her side. Her fingers pick at the waxy blades of grass beneath her as she counts into infinitely if someone loved her or not.

…

"I…won't tell you-" the brunette spits blood onto the floor, right before the man's feet. "I won't tell you anything!"

The man grimaces. "What _are _you?" he spits.

"I'm a human being!"

"Human beings have hearts!" he man counters while tapping a finger to his wrist. Kiba's eyes dart to the spot his finger meets. "Where the hell is that man? We can't get anything out of you without the others."

"The others?" Kiba's eyes widen. "No! No! Leave them alone. They know nothing!" the man smirks just as the doors swing open, revealing two men with a body slung over each of their shoulders. They lay the two across the free stone tables and then bind their wrists with stone cuffs.

"Alright," one man says, and then snaps. Sasuke and Sakura's eyes flutter open in unison, as if on cue. Kiba gnashes his teeth together at the sight of their bloodied and bruised bodies. "Now come on, you two, tell us your business here."

"Yeah, do it nice and easy or else we'll bring out the jutsu." Another adds.

Sasuke turns to Kiba. "They didn't get anything out of you?"

"I wouldn't speak. They tried the genjutsu on me and it didn't work." Kiba answers in a dark tone.

"Why not?" Sakura asks in bewilderment.

"I know how to regulate my thoughts. I've been tested on too many times before." Kiba's eyes meet the three men's, as if at once, and each one of them jumps back with a start. One of the men clears their throats.

"I'm sure you two aren't nearly as skilled. This one's the only of you three who put up a fight in the streets, too."

Sasuke curses under his breath.

"You want to know our reason for being here?" Sakura says. Sasuke and Kiba turn to her in shock.

"That's right," one man says with a grin.

"Tell us, girly."

"No, Sakura, don't! You're betraying your father! You're betraying Naruto! You're betraying the world!" Kiba shouts.

"Naruto?" the first man says.

"You mean the man who's wanted here?"

"Shit." Sasuke and Kiba curse.

"He's here in the kingdom. One of you tell the Master."

One man nods and exits the room in a rush, leaving the other two to stare down the three teenagers. "You're friend with that trouble maker?"

"Why do you hate him?" Sakura asks. "He's a great person!"

"Sakura, zip it." Kiba hisses.

"Why? Maybe because he lived here for years without ever revealing his true identity. Revealing he was of Air Kingdom. That he was the Avatar." One man says.

"Or maybe because the Master wants-"

"Shut up!" the other man says, cutting him off with the slap of his hand across the man's chest. He frowns, turning his cheek.

"The Master wants him?" Sasuke whispers under his breath. _Why?_

"This isn't important right now," one man says. "Tell us your business here." He turns to Sakura. "Proceed."

The pinkette turns to the others, swallows.

"I…we're here on a mission," she starts, causing Sasuke to let his head fall in dismay and Kiba to slam his heel against the stone table. "We're here to retrieve Naruto's belongings from his old apartment."

Kiba stiffens. "Sakura, you weren't supposed to tell them that! You betraying scoundrel!" he says, playing along. She looks to him with wide eyes, but at his innocent expression, catches the drift. Sasuke, too, understands and adds:

"Yeah, you moron. It was supposed to be done discreetly."

"Then why were you three at the market?" one man asks suspiciously.

"We were shopping for groceries for his new apartment," Sasuke says. "We're rooming together now."

"Well that arrangement will have to come to an end," the other man says. "I'm contacting the Master about this."

"I'll see to it that the apartment is destroyed." The other adds.

"No!" Sakura screeches, causing the men to turn to her with raised eyebrows. "Naruto may be in there! Please, don't kill him! Please!"

The two men smirk.

"We'll do our best. Human life is one thing we value most here."

"Right. You three be good little rabbits." The other says, and then the two exit in a sprint.

After two minutes, Sasuke turns to Sakura with a soft smile. "Great work, Sakura," he whispers. "He'd be dead without you." She blushes at his comment.

"Both smart and beautiful." Kiba adds, causing her face to grow hotter.

"Dammit Inuzuka; must you flirt with everyone's girlfriends?" Sasuke shouts with a throbbing forehead.

Sakura giggles from the left of him. "Calm down, you two. Right now we need to figure a way out of here."

"Yeah-"

Suddenly, the doors burst open and standing in the doorway appear Akamaru and Kyuubo. Kiba and Sakura's faces light up. "Akamaru! There you are! Did they hurt you, boy?" the white beast charges towards his owner with an idle tongue and bright eyes and then smothers him in kisses. Kiba laughs, enjoying the affection, and then pushes him off. "Okay, boy, I need you two get us out of here. Can you?"

Before anyone can say anything else, though, Kyuubo has begun to expand. The three watch with wide eyes as the tips of his ears meet the ceiling. "Oh no," Sasuke mutters. Then his growing ceases and he lets out a loud meow, bending over beside Sakura and pressing a large canine onto the stones around her wrists.

It shatters in an instant, causing Sakura to beam in awe. "Good job, Kyuubo!" she exclaims while scratching his cheek with her free hand. He breaks the other free and then proceeds to her ankles.

"Wow, I guess animals are useful for something after all." Sasuke says. Kiba sends him a glare, to which he shrugs. Once everyone is free and on their feet, they make for the door, only to be stopped by Sakura.

"Wait," she says. "We need to grab the groceries."

Kiba rolls his eyes. "They probably threw them away." He says.

"No, I bet I know where they are."

She grins and leads them through various doors and hallways until they finally find the employee lounge. Sakura opens the refrigerator and peers inside. "There it is," she says, and grabs for the bag. "And it's still as it was when he left it."

"Great, now let's go." Sasuke says while turning for the door. Sakura scoops Kyuubo into her arms and follows the two discreetly down the halls and out to freedom. "Finally." She breathes.

"Where do you think Naruto and the others are?" Sasuke inquires.

"I bet Akamaru can find out." Kiba says, and then whispers something in the dog's ear. He yaps in understanding before pressing his snout to the ground and leading the three into town. "We'd better hurry, though. We're convicts here."

As they pass a stone building, they lack acknowledgement of the two figures cloaked in the shadows, peering into the streets, awaiting their deaths.

**A/N: **The long and awaited chapter…was a bust T.T Not that anyone is reading this, anyway. So, comment, please :)


	19. Flames of Youth!

Book Two: Fire

Chapter Nineteen: Flames of Youth

**A/N: **Hi guys ^^ I didn't have a lot of HW today so I'm going to go ahead and write this for you. I'm getting tired of Earth Kingdom and especially tired of Book Two… So let's move this along ^^

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does._

"You take the taller one," Ino whispers as she and Shikamaru crouch behind a dumpster, analyzing their victims.

"Shouldn't we wait until they undo the genjutsu?" Shikamaru inquires, to which Ino's forehead throbs.

"Listen, Nara, they're about to undo it! Now shut your trap so we can time this right."

"If you say so," Shikamaru says with a sigh.

The two guards whom Shikamaru and Ino had followed begin a sequence of hand signs. _My dad…he's in there, isn't he? _Ino thinks. _Damn him! When will he learn that I'm no longer little?_ Suddenly, the space before the two men begins to vibrate and the form of a building begins to take shape. Ino nods, whispering, "Now!"

In a matter of seconds, their bodies fall limply to the ground and the two men stare at each other in a daze. The taller nods towards Ino and Shikamaru's bodies and they scoop them into their arms. "Phase one complete." The shorter one says with a grin.

This was the plan. Ino and Shikamaru were to transfer into the bodies of the two guards who had caught them in the streets earlier. After scooping up their unconscious selves, they would enter the master's castle and figure out who was in charge. Then they'd take care of Ino's "wanted" problem. Ino had thought it a perfect plan, having come up with it herself, and because Shikamaru had only objected _once_, she figured it was fool proof.

As the two enter the palace, the doors begin to disappear behind them. The two share a horrified look. "Who goes there?" someone calls from the top of a staircase. Ino and Shikamaru's eyes follow the red velvet carpet up to the top where a man with glossy, red hair and white eyes stands. Ino swallows.

"Us guards," Shikamaru calls. The man narrows his gaze on the two unconscious teens in their arms. "These," he raises the body in his arms. "Are fire benders we found on the streets." He nods toward Ino's body. "She is Ino Yamanaka."

The man's milky eyes widen. "You mean…The traitor, Nara and the runaway, Yamanaka?"

Shikamaru's gaze narrows slightly. _Traitor? How does he know…? Has word gotten out?!_

"Very well," the man says. "Bring them up." Shikamaru and Ino share a look before climbing the steep staircase. Once at the top, the man motions with the flick of his wrist for the two to follow him down a corridor. The three pass ruby red walls that glisten with gems and chandeliers overtop that seem to be made of maroon and crimson stones. "Here we are."

He opens the door to reveal a lavish room, complete with a smoking fireplace, brown and black plush couches, a mahogany table, and a porcelain tea set splayed across the top it. Ino and Shikamaru's eyes widen. _It looks…exactly like… _Ino thinks in awe.

_Ino's living room… _Shikamaru unknowingly finishes in his head.

"Set them down on the couches," the man says. "And then lock the door behind you and follow me." He turns on his heel, taking a few steps away from them as they enter the room. The shorter man sets Ino's body down on the couch and the other lays Shikamaru down beside her. The taller one passes the other a discreet look, one that says, _follow my lead._

They head towards the door, the shorter one first, and as the taller one closes the door, he "forgets" to lock it behind him. They carry on their way, following the man with the fiery hair until the taller jabs his partner in the side. And that's when they switch. The two men blink and stagger forward a step. The man before them turns sharply. "What's wrong with you two?"

The shorter man blinks while clenching his head. "I, uh…I smell flowers…"

The other man sniffs the air. "I smell-"

"Who gives two shits about what you smell?" the man shouts in anger. "Now come! You," he points to the taller man. "Contact Sir Yamanaka. And you," he nods toward the other. "Follow me." The two men share a look before going their separate ways.

…

Ino places a hand on the fibrous couch to help herself sit up. "Man, my head hurts worse than usual," she mutters. Shikamaru nods. "It must have been their stench, or something."

"Don't you find it odd, though," Shikamaru says. "That this room is an exact replica of-"

"My living room? Yeah," she nods.

"And how they know that I'm a traitor of Fire Nation," he adds, to which Ino's eyes widen.

"Is that what he meant by _traitor_?" she says.

"I'm guessing. Who else have I betrayed?"

"Shikamaru," Ino says quietly. "Why were…" she takes a deep breath. "When those three guys found us in the street, why did they treat me like…I was precious, or something?" Shikamaru edges closer to her and drapes an arm around her trembling shoulders.

"Are you scared?" he whispers, to which she nods. He sighs. "I don't know. Your father has some odd connection to this place, though."

"This place is creepy." She whispers.

Suddenly, the sound of hushed voices fills the air and the two's breaths cease. Footsteps pad outside of the room, just by the door. "I know what he said," a woman with an angelic voice says irritably. "I just don't understand! It's not fair!"

"Hush, princess, you'll upset _him_." A man says in a pleading tone. There's silence from the other side and then the sound of footsteps signal their departure.

"Who was that?" Ino whispers.

"I don't know, but obviously "him_"_ is the master of this place." Shikamaru responds. He runs his fingers through Ino's golden locks. "I'm going to find out what's going on here and I'm going to protect you. I promise."

And then the doorknob turns.

…

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties," Shion says cheekily as she bends over the sleeping couple, her hair draping over the two like a blanket. Hinata's eyes open to find the girl's pale eyes staring into hers. "I'll never get over how alike we look." She says with a huge grin.

"Yeah…" Hinata says while sitting herself up. Naruto comes to, his eyes opening slowly, as if some invisible force was prying them open. "Naruto," Hinata says. "Good morning."

The blond turns to his girlfriend with an idle look to him. One eye droops low as the other fights to stay open. "Hmmmbb…" he mumbles before rolling over so that his face is buried in the grass beneath them. Shion giggles at his antics.

"No, no, silly," she says while reaching for his ankles. "It's time to get up!" she drags him a few feet before his head shoots up, a sure sign that he is awake.

"What's going on? Are we under attack?" he says cluelessly.

"Shion," Hinata says while climbing to her feet. "You're unusually…chipper. I don't mean to sound blunt but what happened?"

Shion giggles. "You happened!" Hinata raises her eyebrows. "Because of you guys, I'm finally going to get to see my brother again! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Hinata studies her face for a moment before grunting in agreement. Shion drops the boy's feet and gives him a chance to sit up as she heads towards the fireplace that has been previously lit. "I made breakfast," she says. "Eggs and berries." Naruto's ears perk up at this.

"That was kind of you," Hinata says.

"It's going to rain, so I figured I'd better fix something over the fire before it's too late. The leaves wouldn't be able to hold this rain."

"What kind of rain is it?" Naruto inquires while studying his breakfast.

"Some moron was experimenting with-"

"Oh," Naruto says, cutting her off. "Yeah, we heard about that. I thought the rain was over, though."

"Yeah," Shion says, recovering from his rude interruption. "Apparently, his friends thought it was funny and decided to try it again. This time, though, it's worse."

"How can you tell?" Hinata asks while taking a seat beside Naruto by the fire.

"I mind transferred into a bird. They can see everything from up there." She states. "So how many eggs does everyone want? I can go find more if you guys are really hungry."

"This isn't my week." Hinata mumbles as Naruto counts up the eggs and divides them between the three.

"You and Hinata can have two eggs and I'll have these four." He says.

"That's not fair!" Shion shouts in protest.

"Yeah-huh! I'm bigger than you two and also, I use up a lot of chakra in order to bend so I need more!" he argues.

"Naruto, why don't you have three and give the other to Shion?" Hinata suggests.

The girl's eyes widen. "You…you'd do that for me?" she says. Hinata inwardly rolls her eyes and nods. _This girl…_ she thinks. _Something is off about her._

Suddenly, there's a crack of lighting and the wind begins to pick up. Naruto and Hinata tilt their heads up to find the leaves of the trees dancing restlessly. Through the cracks in between the leaves, the charcoal sky is visible. "You'd better eat up. And bathe quickly, too, 'cus you guys don't wanna be stuck in the water in that!"

"Did you already bathe?" Naruto asks, to which Hinata shoots him a glare. He shrugs.

"Yeah. I did it while you two were sleeping." She says.

"Good," Naruto says, and peers at Hinata. "I'll take my bath first. Eat up, guys." He heads for the river then, shoving the rest of his breakfast down his throat. Shion looks down at her last egg and smiles.

"That's one nice guy you've got there." She says.

"I know," Hinata answers blandly.

"You'd better keep him. Those are hard to come by these days." Hinata narrows her gaze on the blond, whose eyes won't dare meet hers. She knew this girl's game. She wanted Naruto and that was the warning bell. Hinata had to act quickly if she wanted her relationship with Naruto to last.

"I plan to," Hinata says while taking a bite into her egg. The yolk gushes from its sack and paints Hinata's clothes a vibrant yellow, causing Shion to finally look up from her breakfast and grin.

"Oops," she says. "I forgot to mention that yours was a little underdone."

Hinata jumps to her feet with the slimy mound of egg in her right hand. "You did that on purpose!" she screeches. Shion raises her hands in surrender.

"It was a little underdone, is all. I thought that was how you liked them."

_What an f-ing liar!_

"Like hell you did! It's no coincidence that you only underdid mine! Besides," she throws the egg to the ground and it lands right in Shion's lap. The girl's pale eyes widen. "Naruto's the one who likes runny eggs." She storms away, her hair trailing behind her like a cape in the wind. Shion narrows her gaze on the girl's retreating form.

As Hinata storms away furiously, her feet sinking into the muddy ground beneath her, something flashes behind the trees, catching her eye. In the time it takes Hinata to blink, the figure is already standing before her. She squeaks in alarm, stumbling back. The girl before her cracks a smile. "Did Naruto's hair throw up on you?" the brunette asks with a laugh.

Hinata glares at her friend. "How'd you get here, Tenten?"

"We were led here by a trail of idiocy." She answers. Hinata raises an eyebrow, prodding her to elaborate. "Naruto pretty much created a mini earth quake in the city's ground. Whoever you guys were running from is bound to find you."

"Shit," Hinata curses.

"Woah, hold up, cowgirl. What's wrong? Seriously, I've never seen you this upset." Tenten places her hands on the girl's shoulders and gazes into her glassy eyes. "Tell Tennie."

Hinata lets out an upset huff. "Shion is trying to steal Naruto from me."

Tenten blinks. "Hold on…There are two things wrong with that sentence. One, I first figured you were speaking of yourself but your hair isn't blond anymore!" she rubs a tendril of Hinata's indigo hair between her fingers. "And two, what do you mean she's stealing him?"

Hinata crosses her arms over her chest. "Shion…we met her in this forest and she keeps flirting with Naruto. And she's the one who did this to me!" she motions towards her ruined clothes.

"Wait…you mean…but you still didn't explain the hair." Tenten says.

"The dye came out. Back to my crisis!"

"Sorry, sorry," Tenten says. "So let me get this straight. You and Naruto were fleeing who exactly?"

"Some officers,"

"For what reason?"

"They thought I was Shion, and she's apparently a wanted criminal here."

"Right," Tenten nods her head. "So you guys flee here, where you meet this wanted criminal."

"Yes,"

"And she spilled an egg on you while seducing your hubby?"

Hinata shrugs out of the brunette's grip on her shoulders with a frown. "This is serious."

"I know it is," Tenten says. "I don't have any paper or pen for an autograph." Hinata glares at her, to which she smiles softly. "Kidding. Come on, Hinata, you know Naruto loves you more than anything in the whole world. Anyone can see it."

Hinata presses her lips together. "Forget it," she says. "So did you complete your mission?"

Tenten smiles widely. "Yeah. Lee's with Neji, who should be with Naruto by now…"

"Naruto's bathing."

"Then we would have heard a scream by now." Tenten says worriedly. Suddenly, a scream pierces the silence of the woods, alerting the two girls. But it isn't the familiar scream of Neji. It was the scream of a certain blond haired girl.

"Shion!" Hinata yells as she and Tenten race towards the campsite. Upon arrival, they find Neji and Lee on the ground with Shion looming over them, a knife in each hand directed at their throats. She looks up as Tenten and Hinata burst through the trees breathlessly.

"Two beautiful creatures of youth are here to clip the thorns from this flower of death!" Lee exclaims in awe, causing Neji and Tenten to sweat drop. Hinata shakes her head.

"Shion, what are you doing?" she inquires.

The girl steps away from the two boys, giving them some air. She places the weapons back into her skirt pockets. "Do you know them?" she asks.

"Yes, they're with me." She answers.

"Where's Naruto?" Neji asks.

"He's bathing," Tenten answers.

"Thank you for sparing us." He mumbles to Shion, who raises her eyebrows.

"What's going on here? Who are these people, Hinata?" she asks.

"This is Neji, my cousin, and his girlfriend, Tenten. And this is Lee, a friend of theirs." She answers. "I advise you to refrain from killing them."

Shion rolls her eyes. "Are they coming with us?"

"Yes,"

"The more the merrier, I guess. Hi," she turns back to the two. "I'm Shion. Nice to meet you!" she gives them a dazzling smile.

"The thorns have retracted and the petals have grown, blossoming into a fine grace!" Lee exclaims in awe. "Shion, my darling. I've heard so much about you!"

"Does he always speak like this?" Hinata whispers. Tenten nods.

"Well thank you, sweetie." Shion says, and turns to Neji. "And you, with the stunning hair." Tenten clenches her teeth. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Neji nods while climbing to his feet. "Come on, Lee. Stand up," he says, and turns to Hinata. "Find Naruto. We need to leave soon. Have you heard form Shikamaru and Ino? Or Sasuke and his group?"

"You can't leave," Shion says. "Not until the genjutsu is broken."

"What genjutsu?" Tenten asks.

"There's a genjutsu around this area. It's for me, not you, so don't worry about that part. Either way, you were fools to come here."

"How long until it's broken, do you know?" Neji inquires.

Shion shrugs. "It could be days. It could be hours."

"Shikamaru and Ino are still in the city, I presume," Hinata says. "We haven't seen them since we split. Nor have we heard from Sasuke's group."

"What if they're in trouble?" Tenten asks worriedly.

"The wind is picking up," Lee notes aloud. "There will be a storm!"

"I'm going to get Naruto," Hinata says. "You guys stay here."

…

Ino and Shikamaru turn to each other. "We have to hide!" Ino whispers frantically. Shikamaru places a hand on her thigh and shakes his head just as the door opens. They turn towards the door to find Shikaku Nara. Shikamaru's eyes widen.

"Dad?" he says.

"Shikamaru…" Shikaku makes his way towards his son, who's already to his feet. They embrace for a short moment before pulling away. "What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I could ask you the same."

Ino bursts into tears then, alerting the two. Shikaku sighs. "This is going to be a long, tiresome day."

"Then you'd better get to explaining." Shikamaru says while taking his seat beside Ino. He hushes her while forcing her head into his chest. "Dad, why are you in Earth Kingdom?"

"I'm here because I work here." He says, to which both Ino and Shikamaru's eyes widen. "I know it's surprising. Please, just let me explain. Ino, your father and I are business partners who work secretly in Earth Kingdom."

"My father…?" she whispers.

"Your father is an important man here, I guess. Not as important as he should be, though."

"I don't understand, dad. What are you doing that's so important?" Shikamaru asks.

"Inoichi Yamanaka was in a predicament not long ago," he starts. "He needed my help and so I offered my safety to help save his life. It's nothing you need to know about. But what you do need to know is that because Ino's father works for Earth Kingdom, she's very special. There are wanted posters all around, as you may know." The two nod.

"You work here too, dad. So why did they treat me like garbage?" Shikamaru asks.

"For two reasons, son. One, I'm not as high ranking as Inoichi in Earth Kingdom. Secondly, they know what you've done and so do I."

A heavy silence hangs in the air.

"Why did you do it?" his voice sounds desperate, broken. Shikamaru grits his teeth.

"It was a mistake, I swear!" he shouts.

"Like hell it was!"

Shikamaru bites back a remark. Just then, the door swings open and in the doorway stands a girl who looks to be in her twenties. Her appearance is so striking that it takes both Shikamaru's and Ino's breaths away.

Her hair is a dark golden color with streaks of pinkish red that flows down her back like a river, ending at her mid thigh. Her figure is nearly angelic in every way; poised, fragile, sexy. Her eyes, shockingly, are bright blue with flecks of shimmering reds and greens. But the most shocking of all is her skin, which is so pale that it could challenge the moon; and freckling her skin are gemstones that seem to be engraved into the pale surface.

"What is _she_ doing here?" she says, almost growls. Her eyes could compare to an angered lion's in the way they flash with rage. Her cheeks burn a light pink.

"Me?" Ino squeaks while pointing to herself.

Shikaku rises, almost creating a wall between them by the way he positions himself. And Shikamaru can tell it's no coincidence in the way he stands, ready to defend. This girl wanted Ino's blood shed over her already red carpets. The thought of what may have made them red makes him sick to his stomach, and he clenches Ino more tightly in his arms.

"Her," she says while shaking in fury. "She's sitting in my palace! Do you want to die, Shikaku?"

"Please, princess, calm down. Ino is-"

"Don't _ever_ speak of her name from inside these palace walls!"

Shikaku flinches. "She's hear because-"

"Because her daddy was so worried about her safety? The safety of a slut? When hell freezes over!" she cuts him off.

Ino's trembling intensifies as one thought swims around in her nearly empty mind:

Who was this girl?

…

"What an idiot," Sasuke mumbles as his eyes trail along the cracks in the city ground.

"Then I guess we know which way to head." Sakura says while placing Kyuubo on the ground. "Go on, boy. Take us to Naruto!"

The kitten meows in acknowledgement and begins to expand. The three back up, giving him room, and then climb into his mouth. As Akamaru hops in, Kyuubo begins to take off in the direction of their friends. "I'm so glad this is over with." Sakura says with a tired sigh.

"I know. I wonder if everyone else has completed their missions. All I wanna do is go back to the Inn and take a nice long bath." Kiba adds.

"I'd like something to eat before I throw up." Sasuke mutters.

"I'd offer the snake eyes but we all know they're Tsunade's favorite." Kiba says with a grin, to which Sakura laughs. "You know," Kiba says. "I bet you'd look pretty nice in one of those Earth Kingdom skirts." Sakura's eyes widen and a rose blush dusts her cheeks. Sasuke, on the other hand, is already on his feet, glaring down at the brunette.

"Are you looking for a fight?" he inquires through clenched teeth.

"Sorry," the boy says with a shrug. "Horny dogs…what can you do with them?"

"Take them to a vet." Sasuke hisses while landing a punch to Kiba's jaw. Sakura rises to her feet in astonishment.

"Sasuke, stop!" she shouts. But he ignores her, instead landing another punch to Kiba's bruised and bloodied face. Suddenly, Kyuubo begins to shake back and forth, throwing Kiba, Sasuke, Akamaru, and Sakura into a heap. Thunder claps from outside of their "vehicle."

Kiba takes the moment to grab Sasuke by the collar and land a blow to his lip, busting it. Sasuke raises a fist in defense but drops it, his head lolling back. Sakura's eyes widen as Kiba grins and lands another blow to Sasuke's ribs. "No!" she screeches, and lifts her leg to kick Kiba in the side. But as her foot lifts into the air, a burst of fire erupts from the sole of her foot. The snakelike tendrils wrap around Kiba's arm and he releases Sasuke with a shout of pain.

Sakura stares in awe as Kiba pres open Kyuubo's mouth and thrusts his arm into the open air where the rain licks up the flames. He breathes a sigh of relief while rubbing the burnt skin from his arm. Sakura turns away in disgust, and upon seeing Sasuke's unconscious form, stumbles towards him. "Sasuke!" she shouts while shaking his shoulders. Kiba appears form behind her with a frown.

Her eyes widen in fear, but instead of a kick to the chin, Kiba smiles. "Good job. You did it." Sakura stares at him in awe. "Too bad Sasuke wasn't awake to see it."

Before Sakura can respond, though, the four of them are sent into the air and crash against the roof of Kyuubo's mouth. Sakura winces, mixed emotions swimming around in her head as her stomach begins to sink into her lower area. She realizes then that they're crashing. And just as she opens her mouth to warn Kiba, the sound of glass shattering pierces their ears and then her world goes black.

**A/N: **Okay, the ending sucked but I was tired! I know I'm a bad person for not updating but seriously, I haven't been able to do anything since school started! I just got home from taking the PSAT, too, so give me some cred B) Lol please comment :) Let me know you're still reading…


	20. Book three: Earth Enter: Shino!

Book Three~ Earth

Chapter Twenty~ Enter: Shino!

**A/N: **Hi guys ^^ No complaints today haha even though I have many. I just feel like you guys think I have too many problems xP Review, guys. I swear my cats won't eat you if you do. Just tell me what you think because if you don't, I won't have reason to write this story. Arigato Gozaimasu!

_~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does._

There was just on question on everyone's mind as the atmosphere seemed to take on an eerie twist. The rain, which was the color of tar, pouring down in buckets didn't reach the group's heads; and it wasn't because of the trees' shelter. The black ooze pounded onto what appeared to be, against the black color of the rain, a sheet of glass. Then it slid down as the rain does on a car window and landed in a pile of slime on the ground.

"It has to be the genjutsu," Shion says. "It's protecting us from the…well, tar."

"What is this stuff? Why is it coming down from the sky?" Lee inquires with a look of fear on his face.

"It's just some water bending hooligan messing with Mother Nature's cycle," Tenten retorts irritably.

Neji purses his lips. "So then, we'll know when the genjutsu is broken when the rain, er, tar begins to make contact with us?"

"Precisely," Shion says.

"In that case, let's hope we never get out of here." Tenten mumbles, and slides to the ground. "What's taking Hinata so long? I don't feel well." Neji takes a seat beside the brunette and places a hand on her back.

"Don't mope. Do you feel sick?" he asks, to which Tenten glares.

"Don't mope," she reiterates in a high, squeaky voice. "I feel like I'm about to give birth!"

Neji's silent for a moment as he and Tenten think the same thing.

_Did I get her pregnant?! _

_Did he get me pregnant?! _

Shion's gaze darts between the two and she rolls her eyes. "Quit whining. And don't hope for such an awful thing," she looks out in the distance, beyond the "wall". "I've been trapped here for so long. It's my dream to finally leave."

The three watch her in silence.

_Just who is she…? _Tenten thinks.

…

"Naruto?" Hinata calls while carefully making her way through a patch of roses. "Naru-"

She's cut off when someone grabs her from behind, encircling an arm around her stomach, and cups a hand over her mouth. Her azure eyes widen in shock as she's pulled to the ground and the mystery person from behind wraps their other arm around her waist. She squirms, feeling their two legs tighten to keep her in place. And then they place their lips to her eat and whisper, "Gotcha."

A flood of both relief and anger washes through Hinata's entire being as Naruto loosens his grip around her. She takes a deep breath, flustered. "You baka!" she says, and hits him on the forehead. Naruto smirks.

"Sorry. Seeing you made me…" he shrugs. "Wanna jump you?" a blush rises to his cheeks and he releases her fully. "I mean, I didn't wanna jump you…I just felt like I wanted to…touch you." He whispers the last words while turning away from the confused, wide eyed stare from Hinata.

As the words register, her cheeks ripen into the brightest shade of red known to man. "Oh," she mumbles, and turns back around so that her back is against his chest. "Naruto…Neji and Tenten are here. They've got Lee."

Naruto sighs. "Is that so?" he places a hand on Hinata's back and begins to rub circles into her clothing. "I wish I could get away from all of this." He says quietly.

"I know." Hinata whispers.

"But that's selfish of me," he presses his cheeks to the nape of her neck and closes his eyes. "I can't just take care of the two of us. No matter how much I want to, that is."

"You don't have to do it alone, Naruto," Hinata says. "You've got your friends. And me."

He bits his bottom lip. "My friends. And you? What, are you not a friend?" he chuckles, but Hinata can feel the falseness of his words pound against her chest like a bullet.

"I hope I'm more," she says. "More than a friend or a girlfriend."

Naruto's silent for a moment. "You mean, like a soul mate?"

"Mm," is all she says.

"So they've got Lee, huh?" Naruto says, switching the subject. Hinata frowns. "I wonder what kind of guy he is."

"He's your kind." Hinata mumbles.

"Oh really? You mean handsome, funny, and strong?"

"Check all of the above." Hinata says.

"So he's handsome?" Naruto wraps his arms back around Hinata's waist and rises to his feet, bringing the squealing girl with him. "Then I guess I have some _more_ competition."

"Kiba isn't competition," Hinata says, and turns around, still being held tightly against Naruto's chest. "You're all I want and all I need." She presses her nose to his and closes her eyes. "You should take those contacts out. Your eyes are much prettier."

"Ditto on that." He says with a chuckle, and sets her down. "Come on. I wanna see what all of this ink is about."

"Ink?"

"Yeah, you know? The stuff above our heads?"

"That's just another water bender gone wrong." Hinata says with a giggle.

"Oh," he cracks a grin. "Maybe you should mentor?"

"I think that's more of a job for you." She retorts with a small smile.

"Nah, you're better with children."

The two fall silent.

"We'll see." Hinata says softly as they make their way back to the others.

…

"Is this your spouse?" the Princess inquires with a raised eyebrow. Ino swallows. "How many children have you produced?"

"None!" Shikamaru and his father shout in unison. Ino sweat drops.

"Good. The world doesn't need more of you two." She says snippily.

"Princess, please. Try to understand that they're not against you." Shikaku says.

"Oh, I'm against her." Ino mutters.

"Listen, wench, I want you off of my property and out of my Kingdom!" she screeches. One of the jewels in her left cheek shatters, revealing a hollow crater. Ino winces.

"Why do you hate me?" she inquires.

"Why? I can describe it in one word," she says. "Inoichi Yamanaka,"

"My dad?"

"Houseki, please," Shikaku begs. "Just leave it be. They'll be gone in a moment's time."

"No," she holds up a hand. "I feel this girl deserves to know what's going on around here." Shikaku purses his lips and takes a seat on the couch, to which Houseki smirks. "Here is the answer to all of your questions. Your father, fourteen years ago, was traveling to earth Kingdom on a business trip. He was exporting our flowers for his shop. While here, he fell instantly in love with the Earth Kingdom's Queen, who was my mother."

Ino's stomach began to clench in ways that made her think, if she hadn't known any better, that someone was mincing her stomach and preparing it for this girl to eat. What was she getting at anyway? Was she trying to say that Ino's father had cheated on his wife?

"They had a baby. Me," she continues. "My mother died giving birth to me and that prompted my father, the King of Earth Kingdom, to have my DNA tested. He found out quickly who was the father, since he had doubts that it was himself. So Inoichi, to save his life, promised to aid Earth Kingdom in secretly betraying Fire Kingdom to smuggle in bending scrolls that belonged to Earth Kingdom in the first place. Your father, a coward, decided to bring his best friend into this mess to save his sorry ass. Shikaku was then appointed to be my caretaker on days my father was busy."

"Are you saying…you're my sister?" Ino breathes in disbelief. The girl clenches her jaw with a new look of hatred in her eyes.

"We are _not _sisters." She hisses.

"Genetically, you are," Shikamaru says, to which Houseki glares. "So then there's just one question I have for you." She raises an eyebrow in response. "Is your father the "master"?"

Shikaku and Houseki's eyes widen.

"How did you-?"

But before anyone can say anything else, the floors begin to tremble and in the corner of the room, the floor splits, sending a crack the size of an anaconda up the wall. Shikamaru grabs Ino by the wrist and hauls her out of the room as quickly as possible. He then sends her down the stairs and rushes back to the room. "Dad!" he shouts just as the ceiling above caves. Down falls what Shikamaru recognizes as Kyuubo. "Dad!"

Shikaku glances up and in a split second, he raises his arms over his head. The behemoth freezes in mid air, about twelve feet above Shikaku's head. A thick sheet of black hangs in the air, connected to both Shikaku and Kyuubo. Shikamaru smiles while letting out a breath of relief. "You stopped him." He says.

"What is this thing?" Shikaku grunts in response.

"That's my friend's cat," Shikamaru replies. "Set him down gently."

Shikaku nods and does so. Houseki, using their being distracted, heads for the door and finds Ino about halfway down the spiral staircase. She smirks before racing down the steps after her. Ino looks up in time to see Houseki right on her tail and her eyes widen.

Shikamaru glances around. "Where's Houseki?" he inquires.

Just then, the lighting of the room dims and a red light casts over the two men as a siren goes off throughout the castle. They share a look of horror.

"Shit!"

…

Naruto and Hinata freeze when they find Tenten lying unconscious on the ground and the other three huddling around her anxiously. "What happened?" he inquires in a state of franticness.

"She fainted," Shion says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"We don't know what the cause is but she said a few minutes before unconsciousness that she felt as if she were about to give birth." Lee adds.

Naruto and Hinata turn to Neji in a mixture of disgust and horror. "You-you didn't…?" Naruto stutters while pointing an accusing finger at the boy. Neji's forehead throbs.

"No. Or, at least, I don't think so." He responds.

Just then, a layer of slime blankets itself onto the tops of their heads, and in a flash, Shion's dull mood brightens. "Guys," she exclaims excitedly. "The genjutsu is broken!"

Hinata wipes away a layer of sludge from her face and smiles at the excited blond. "I'm glad," she says, and wrings out her hair. But to no avail because the slime keeps pouring down on the group. Naruto chuckles.

"How can you get this from water bending?" he inquires.

"You don't wanna know." Hinata and Neji say simultaneously.

"We'd better head out," Shion says. "Before someone reconstructs it."

"How are we going to get out?" Lee asks.

"What about Tenten?" Neji adds.

"Naruto can't earth bend us out of here because it'll make too much of a ruckus," Shion ponders aloud. "The same goes for Hinata. I mean, riding a wave into Earth Kingdom would look pretty odd. This girl is of no use…" she motions to Tenten with the nod of her head. "So it's up to me, then."

"What about us?" Lee asks sadly while pointing to Neji and himself. Shion rolls his eyes.

"I don't trust you; you've just gotten out of the nut house, and lover boy over there needs to watch his sleeping beauty."

"Oh, clever," Neji says with the roll of his eyes.

"Then it's up to me," she repeats, and looks up into the sky. She continuously wipes away the slime until her lips part in a toothy smile. "Found you." She whispers, and then performs a hand sign. In an instant, her stare goes blank and her body begins to sway slightly.

"What happened?" Neji asks.

"Mind switch," Naruto answers.

"Is she going to use a bird?" Hinata inquires.

As if on cue, a large bird half the size of an expanded Kyuubo swoops down and lands in the middle of the group. It cocks, prompting the others to climb aboard. Neji scoops the unconscious brunette into his arms and hops on, placing Tenten onto his lap safely. Naruto motions for Lee to grab Shion's body and then helps Hinata onto the bird's back. Once everyone is on, the bird flies upwards, cutting through the black rain like scissors through paper.

Naruto grips Hinata's waist tightly and places his chin onto her shoulder. "This is it," he says. "We're going to get Shino back for her."

"Yeah," Hinata says. "And then get out of here, right?"

"Once we find Ino and Shikamaru. We can't go back without that sake."

"Don't forget Sasuke, Kiba, and Sakura," Neji adds.

"Right," Naruto seat drops. "Of course, we could always leave Kiba behind…" Hinata punches him softly in the arm. "Kidding…"

"Look at that!" Lee exclaims, and points towards the back part of Earth Kingdom. Everyone turns to see a large castle that seems to have been crashed through by something large. Steam rises from the top floor, meets with the black rain, and dissipates.

"Oh gosh," Hinata breathes.

"Is that where the master lives?" Naruto inquires. The bird shakes his feathers, signaling a yes. "Okay, then, Shion. You know what to do."

The bird swoops down and lands right behind the smoking building in a vacant alley. Everyone climbs off with Neji and Lee holding the bodies of the girls. Then the bird blinks and begins to squawk loudly. Shion comes to and Lee puts her down. The bird glances at the group of teens confusedly before flying away.

"Neji," Naruto says. "You stay here with Tenten. We wouldn't want her to be in the middle of any danger." Neji looks as if he's about to object but he decides against it and instead takes a seat underneath a tree, blocking him from their sight. Naruto nods to himself. "Okay, Lee, you're going to group with Shion. Hinata and I will be partners."

"What's the plan?" Shion asks quietly.

"Where were you the last time you were in the palace?" Naruto inquires. "You know where the room is. The room that's holding your brother."

Shion swallows. "It's on the top floor," she says. "You go up the stairs and then turn left. It's the room at the very end of the hall with large doors."

"Right," Hinata says with the nod of her head.

"Okay then. Here's the plan," Naruto says. "Shion, I want you and Lee to take that route. Hinata and I are going to see what the commotion is and then meet you there, okay? Is that okay?" Shion nods, to which Naruto smiles. "Then we'll see you there."

In a split second, he's got Hinata in his arms and the ground beneath them lifts towards the sky. "Naruto," Hinata whines quietly. "My skirt."

"Oh, that's right," Naruto mumbles. "Lee had better not be peeking."

Hinata's cheeks redden.

"I think he has bigger things to worry about."

…

"Shit," Shikaku curses. "Where'd Ino go?"

"I sent her downstairs," Shikamaru answers. "Do you think Houseki went after her?"

"Most probably," he turns to Kyuubo. "Go after her. I'll take care of him."

"Wait," Shikamaru says. "There might be people in there." Shikaku raises an eyebrow. "My friend, I mean. The ones I'm traveling with. Tell them you're my dad and that I'm downstairs waiting for them. But please don't let them get caught, okay dad?"

Shikaku chuckles. "Son…come visit some time." Shikamaru's eyes widen. "You're going to be staying with whoever you're traveling with, aren't you?" Shikamaru nods, and bows his head in shame. "At least now I know my son is innocent. I never doubted you to begin with."

"Right," Shikamaru says sarcastically. Shikaku cracks a grin.

"Now go save your lady. She's a fine one. I'll be sure to tell Inoichi she's okay." Shikamaru smiles before sprinting into the hallway after Ino. Shikaku turns to the moaning cat. "Oh dear."

…

"Ino!" Shikamaru calls.

"Shikamaru!"

He leans against the banister and peers over the edge to find Ino and Houseki. Houseki glances up at the boy and frowns. "I guess she can't take care of herself, huh?"

Ino narrows her gaze on the girl. "Why do you hate me?" she asks. Houseki turns sharply. "Seriously. So we're step sisters. What's your reason for hating me?"

Houseki twists her lips to the side. "I'll say this: My father wasn't around much when I was growing up. I was with Inoichi most of the time. Almost every waking second, actually. So it's only natural I hate the girl he loves most."

"…I thought you hated my father." Ino says softly.

"NO!" Ino and Shikamaru both jolt back at the sudden burst. "I do not hate Inoichi. He and I have a very defined relationship. You're daddy's little girl. I'm daddy's little nightmare." Ino's face falls. "See why I hate you?" she stomps her foot and three jewels in her leg shatter. "You've taken away my Inoichi."

"Is your love for my father a father-daughter love or…a relationship kind of love?" Ino asks quietly. She almost can't get the words out, what with the puke rising in her throat. The very thought of her dad having…sex with his daughter… It was revolting.

Houseki grimaces. "I have a sex partner," she says. "It's not Inoichi. That's sick, you little bitch." Ino's eyes widen. "Shino!" she calls.

In a matter of seconds, a boy about the age of this girl, which Ino presumed was fifteen or fourteen, steps out of a room in nothing but a silk bath robe. His long, jet black hair is combed back in a way that makes it look like a wave; his milky skin clashes with the pure white of the robe, causing Ino to wonder which looked softer; his eyes were hidden behind a pair of shades, and his bare legs were blanketed in thick, black ringlets of hair.

He turns to Houseki with a frown. "You interrupted my nap." He says.

"Tell this bitch who you are." The girl says.

Shino turns to Ino and, although no one can see, narrows his gaze. "Oh. I'm Shino Aburame. I'm Houseki Yamanaka's husband."

Ino and Shikamaru's eyes widen.

"I know," Houseki says with a triumphant smile. "Jealous?"

"Oh yeah," Ino says sarcastically, to which Houseki frowns. "He seems nice, so what's your deal?"

Houseki glares at her. "You must not know who I am." She says bitterly.

"I know who you are," Ino retorts. "I want to know _what_ you are."

Houseki huffs. "I'm a human being." She says matter-of-factly.

"Human beings don't have jewels imbedded into their skin," Ino counters. "Were you born that way?"

Houseki bites her bottom lip. "It's none of your business, wench!"

Ino presses her lips together. "I'm just trying to figure this all out, okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" Houseki hisses. "Mind your own, why don't you?"

"I wasn't asking," Ino says, and takes a step closer to the girl. "I want to help. I want to know."

Houseki bars her teeth. "You're not a mediator," she raises her arms over her head and the palace walls begin to tremble. "I've had enough of you."

"Houseki, don't." Shino says in a monotonous voice.

"Shut up!" she screeches, and focuses her attention on Ino. "Daddy's nightmare will turn into daddy's dream in a second. Once you're out of the way, that is."

"Stop, Houseki," Shikamaru shouts. "Ino wants to help! So do I!"

"I told you to never speak her name!" Houseki shouts, and directs her open palms towards him. In a matter of seconds, jewels of every size shoot out of her hands, some surrounded by flames while others sharp as knives. Shikamaru ducks, but to no avail. Seven gems embed themselves into his forehead and he stumbles back.

"Shikamaru!" Ino screams.

"Oh," Shino says quietly. "Great."

**A/N: **This was a short chappie compared to the others, so sorry . We just had Sandy and I was busy taking care of my cats T.T No sleep. Haha so now I'm complaining… I knew I would xD Lol anyway, please comment! ^^


End file.
